Born Again, Back Again, Bilbo and Durin Find Where They Belong
by sarenelsoria
Summary: Bilbo is pregnant when he leaves Erebor assuming that his beloved Thorin has died. He gives birth to a baby in Rivendell and stays there for three years. He then decides to go back to Erebor to raise his son among his people. He doesn't know that Thorin is alive and when he finds out he is happy, but not certain if he wants a life with the dwarf after what Thorin did to him
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Bilbo Baggins stared at the Lonely Mountain once more, how could he come back here, how could he return to this place? He clutched his infant son tightly against his chest, the baby was asleep at the moment, but Bilbo had no desire to return to this forbidden place. He had been cast out, but where else was he to go, where else would Thorn be raised? Not in the Shire, for he knew his people would reject his son, his half-dwarven son. Thorn was such a beautiful baby, with his bright blue eyes and thick curly golden hair, Bilbo loved his son more than anything else in the world. That was why when it was clear that his son aged like Thorin's people instead of Bilbo's, Bilbo had decided that it was time to return to Erebor. Three years had passed since the Battle of Five Armies and he had no desire to overstay his welcome at Rivendell. It was one thing to ask to stay their for a time, quite another for him to ask them to raise a half dwarven child, who wouldn't be grown for another eighty years.

The guard stationed outside of Erebor stared at him, at the figure cloaked in a robe his head covered. "**Who goes there?"**

**"I am Belfris, daughter of Bolfris, son of Bilfris and this is my son Baldur. I come to seek work in the mines." **

**"Where is your son's Father?"**

**"Alas my son has no Father, I wish to raise him aroud the people of Erebor, so that he might grow up knowing the ways of his people." **

**"An admirable desire and an understandable one considering everything that has happened to us in the past. You may go." **The dwarf said and Bilbo entered Erebor, he stared at the city, which despite it only having two years was nearly unrecognizable. He followed a clear path and found an Inn that was prepared to stable his horses. More than that, he was surprised by how many different dwarves there were and how their skin color and attire varied. The place he decided to stay at had dwarves like his traveling companions gathered around it. He kept his cloak up and his face hidden, he had decided that it would be best to pass as a female dwarf as he believed that his higher voice would help him to pass as that much easier than if he tried to pass as a male dwarf. It couldn't be discovered who he truly was, his hobbit features were simply too remarkable amidst this strange and foreign people. He had traveled with them as they had reclaimed their kingdom and had fallen in love with their King but how well had he known the dwarves truly.

"**Can I see your baby?" **A little boy asked and Bilbo smiled softly, before he nodded, the boy peered at the child and smiled. "**He's a son of Durin he has the hair, if not the eyes."**

**"His eyes are blue as well, his name is Balfur, and if he can be half the dwarf his father was, I will be content." **Bilbo said and the child stared down at the baby.

"**He's so cute, I have a little brother and he's not that cute."**

**"Talmir!" **Someone chided and the boy grinned.

"**Its true Mama, Talmor isn't very cute."**

**"Am so, Mama loves me." **Talmor said and Bilbo smiled at the child, who while not as fair as his brother was still adorable in his own way. Then again Bilbo had always loved children.

"**How goes the reconstruction, I am a scribe by trade and I thought that I might seek opportunities in Erebor that I would not find elsewhere."**

**"Then you will need to go to the Great Library soon, you will have to see a clerk and prove your ability to both read and write runes. After that you will most likely be set to translating old scrolls or filing them, they are coming up with a new system of filing because they also need to find out which scrolls are still usable and..." **The dwarf trailed off as Thorn started crying. "**The lad has a good set of lungs on him."**

**"Just like his Father before him." **Bilbo said and laughed. "**We never could really see eye to eye, but I miss him now he's gone, he died at the Battle of Five Armies."**

"**We mourn with you our sister, may he feast with the All Father until the day he awakens at the ending of the world."**

"**I wish his Father was still here though, but he was a warrior and there was always a chance that he would not survive the battle." **Bilbo said.

"**The babe must have been born shortly after the battle, to be so small still."**

**"Indeed he was, Balfur is the only thing that has kept me grounded these long months."  
**Bilbo said and smiled at the dwarf who had spoken to him. "**He is the light of my life and I would do anything to protect him."**

**"To little Balfur, though his father has gone to the halls his line has not ended!" **The dwarf said and everyone raised a pint and Bilbo smiled, he loved dwarves, they were his people more than hobbits had ever been.

"**HIS LINE HAS NOT ENDED!" **The dwarfs said together and drank deeply.

"**Do you know the old epics then?"**

**"Aye I've studied some of them, though I have specialized in elvan runes and speak and write fluently in Elfish, Westron and the language of the people."**

**"Why you would want to speak like those pointy ear bastards, or like that hobbit that betrayed King Thorin is beyond me! Be a proper dwarf and stick to your own language and your own kind." **Someone else spoke up.

**"I've always been fascinated by languages and cultures beside my own, you do not have the right to tell me what I should and shouldn't do."**

**"True, every dwarf has a right to determine his own fate, but why you would want to speak Elfish is beyond me."**

"_You are an ignorant fool, your father was the son of a boar dam and your mother was plowed by a stag."  
_Bilbo said and several people in the room snorted.

"**Did you give me insult?"**

**"No I was simply complementing you on your beard." **Bilbo lied easily and the dwarf stroked his beard.

"**It is mighty fine, perhaps you could speak some more."**

**"If you so desire. **_You are easily placated by complements and have the emotional range and mental capacity of a teaspoon." _Bilbo said and again several of the dwarves hid their laughter behind their mugs of ale.

"**What did you say?" **The dwarf demanded. "**Do you want a taste of my steel?"**

**"No good sir, I've got steel of my own, as well as a low tolerance for fools." **Bilbo replied. "**At any rate would you really attack a mother and her child, what kind of dwarrow are you?"**

**"She's got you there Jimar, set it aside and I'll buy you a pint, you are pretty funny what did you say your name was?"**

"**You may call me Billis, my husband had several enemies and I do not wish to share more than my chosen name with you."**

**"I see and have you presented yourself before King Thorin?" **The dwarf demanded and Bilbo turned pale before bursting into tears, he'd had no idea that Thorin had survived, that Thorin was King of Erebor, he thought Thorin had long since died.

"**Lass what's wrong?" **One of the dwarves demanded and Bilbo's cries made Thorn cry all the harder, they cried for a time, before the men looked truly uncomfortable.

"**I'm alright, just a bit shaken, Thorin lives? And what of the Princes I had thought they were all lost in the battle."**

"Prince Fili is a bit scrambled, do to the knock on his noggin and Prince Kili walks with a limp, but both are hale and doing as well can be expected after surviving a battle."

"**Glad news indeed, would I have to show my face, to present myself before the King? I am uncertain of how things are governed here."**

**"It is never required for a Mother and widow of a warrior to show herself, if she does not wish her identity to be known. You would of course be given rooms in the Halls reserved for those that have lost their husbands in battle. Though some dwarven kingdoms require you to show your face, Erebor is not one of them." **The man said and Bilbo nodded.

"**Alright then, could someone direct me to the throne room, after I've had something to eat."**

**"Of course lass, we'll be glad to." **Someone said and smiled at Bilbo who nodded his thanks. "**Was your husband your One?"**

**"Aye there will never be another dwarf for me, for once I knew him and loved him, I knew that I can never love another dwarf the way I loved him." **Bilbo replied and someone sniffed into their beer, several other people started crying and Bilbo rested his hand on the arm of a strong dwarrow that wept openly. "**Do not cry for me, for the few months of knowing him, being besides him and living our lives as one, were worth more to me than all hundred and eighty seven of my years before I knew him."** He smiled softly and the crying grew even harder. "**I wish that we could have been together longer, that we could have lived a lifetime together, but alas it was not meant to be. When I am old and Balfur has grown into a strong young dwarrow, I shall see him again in the Halls. Some are lucky in love, I was not, but that doesn't mean that it was any less true or passionate than those that are lucky enough to spend decades with their One. I had my time with him and it was the best time in my life."**

Bilbo smiled at the food was set before him, he blew on the stew and ate slowly, and careful not to spill any, and he then wiped his face and used his cloak to cover his son, while he fed him. The baby suckled nosily at his breast and Bilbo smiled softly. "**That's a lad, your hungry aren't you sweetheart? I must have fed him last in Lake town, sorry for the noise, I haven't had much chance to stop along the way and he nodded off a few minutes after I left Dale."**

**"Its natural to fret over your baby, its alright babies cry as do small children."**

**"I don't though Mama." **Talmir said and smiled, the lad looked to be about eight summers, from what Bilbo could guess of the age of children, though men folk aged quickest and if he had been born a man Talmir wouldn't be any older than six. Bilbo knew that the boy was most likely closer to turning twenty, considering how dwarves aged.

"**Is that so Talmir, it must have been another little boy that cried yesterday, when his friend bested him at sword practice." **A dwarven man with a giant broadsword said, laughter dancing in his eyes.

"**But Papa, I did what you showed me and Jalar cheated!"**

**"That's a serious accusation to make, what did Jalar do?"**

**"He threw sand in my face." **Talmir said and everyone laughed.

"**Boyo, if your ever going to learn to be a warrior, you need to learn how to dodge a bit of sand. Either that or throw it right back at him." **He said.

"**Aye! Aye!" **Several men said and pounded on the tables, Bilbo laughed, he had missed dwarves. Thorn didn't seem impressed by all the noise and gave up his meal to wail instead.

"**Hush now, its alright, they aren't going to hurt you my Obsidian Opal. Forgive me, I've pretty much kept to myself before I decided to move here."**

**"As is your right, it is understandable why you would do so. The little one will become accustomed to other people in time, here let me take him and you can finish eating." **A dwarrowdam offered and Bilbo hesitated a moment, before he handed over his son. **"He's so very handsome, he won't find any trouble trying to court a dwarrowdam."**

**"I don't believe he'll have to worry about courting anyone, for several decades at least." **Bilbo said with a laugh. **"Dwarrow, or dwarrowdam, as long as my son is happy, that is all that matters to me."**

"**Even at the cost of loosing your line?"**

**"To me who my son loves is more important than even my line, or the line of his father. I will do anything to ensure that he determines his own fate, as I have done."**

**"Then what shall you educate him in? If he is to determine his own fate?"**

**"He's only three, once he is old enough to learn, I will hire tutors for him in the subjects I can't teach him myself." **Bilbo said and smiled at the baby.

"**Amad! Amad! **_Pick me up!" _His son said little fingers reaching out to Bilbo. Bilbo took the boy back as everyone stared at the child in surprise.

"**Pick me up would have worked as well Balfur."**

**"Amad I not Bal...Bal..."**

**"I know sweetheart, but its a game we're playing, I'm Billis and you are Balfur, that is your name."**

"_Why I miss Grandfather, I love Grandfather, I want Grandfather."_

_"Sweetling, these are your people, I know you love Grandfather, I love Grandfather too. Though there are many other people that I also love, just as I loved your Daddy."_

**"Who is the boy's Grandfather, that he regards so highly?"**

**"I traveled for a time after his birth, however I wasn't prepared for him to be born. Lord Elrond of Rivendell was kind enough to allow both me and my son to stay there for a time and when Balfur was old enough to travel, I decided it was time that we returned to Erebor. That way my son can grow up, in our ancestral homeland."**

**"As is only proper, but why did you stay so long with Lord Elrond?"**

**"Because I wished to have my son be strong enough to make the journey, before we set off. As it was, it was far from easy."**

**"Indeed traveling from Rivendell to Erebor alone with a babe could not have been easy, were you in any danger?" **The dwarrowdam who had held Thorn asked.

"**Luckily some elves wanted to go to Mirkwood around the time I set off for Erebor and so I had traveling companions, elves are very good at navigating the land and we didn't run into any trouble. I then hired a bargeman to take me and Balfur to Lake town and from there I rode this morning to Erebor. There aren't any exciting stories to tell, because nothing truly exciting happened, except for when Balfur stuck his fingers up Elladan's nose." **He added and the whole tavern stared at him.

"**You traveled with Lord Elrond's sons."**

**"Aye they are good lads, though a bit too fond of pranks for my liking. I was not overly upset at Balfur, considering that they dyed one of my traveling cloaks a most odd shade of brown. They replaced it and were punished for it and so I thought a bit of payback couldn't hurt anything." **Bilbo said and Balfur chortled before blowing a spit bubble. "**He's a little troublemaker aren't you my lad?" **Bilbo asked and gently tickled Balfur who screeched with laughter thrashing in Bilbo's arms. "**Are you a lad at all, or are you a little fish, are you my little fish boy?" **

**"No! I dwarf!"**

**"I think your a little fish boy, I'm going to eat you up, yum yum." **Bilbo said and nibbled on his child's toes, Thorn screeched in delight again and everyone laughed.

"**No fish Amad, I dwarf."**

**"Oh alright little one, I suppose you've had enough for now." **Bilbo said and swung Thorn up to his shoulders.

"**Weeeee up high, like up high. **_Look Grandfather!" _He said and then burst into tears.

"**Its alright lad, I know you miss him, but you'll make new friends here and there are actually children your age here, there weren't in Rivendell." **Bilbo said but his son continued to cry, when he started hitting, Bilbo swung him off his shoulders. "_You don't hit Balfur, not me, not anyone. I don't hit you do I?"_

_"No Mama, I sorry, kiss better?"_Thorin asked and kissed Bilbo's mouth, the mask Bilbo wore hid his face under his hood.

_"You little charmer. Yes I suppose I can forgive you." _Bilbo said and held him as his son cried. "**Could I trouble you for some bread?.**"

"**Of course.**" Someone said and he was given a loaf of bread.

"**Thank you.**" He said and tore a small piece off the loaf, before handing it to Thorn who ate hungrily. "**Slowly my Obsidian Opal, its not going anywhere you need to chew slowly and with your mouth closed." **He smiled as his son obeyed him, Bilbo ate a bite of the soup, and he smiled as Thorn eyed what he was eating with interest. "**Its hot and spicy, do you want a bite of it Balfur?"**

**"Yes Amad."**

**"You might not like it and we have yummy bread." **Bilbo warned.

"**Wanna try it."**

**"Alright." **Bilbo said and blew on a spoonful of the soup before letting his son eat it.

"**Hot, Amad the dragon is in my mouth." **Thorn said and everyone laughed.

"**He's so bright for only being three years old."**

**"Thank you, he started speaking at a year, but I always wanted him to have a wide vocabulary, I want him to be able to speak with whoever he wants and be able to say whatever he desires. To me a sharp and clever tongue is just as good a weapon as any sword or dagger."**

**"Indeed, did your husband train you in the warrior's arts?"**

**"Alas he didn't have time to train me fully, before he had to fight in the Battle of Five Armies and after that I had to pick it up where I could. My fighting style is more elvan than dwarven, my Father was a scribe and didn't see the point in teaching me how to fight, and he thought that a worthy dwarrow would fight for me. After my husband died however I had to learn. I know how to fight with a sword and daggers and how to use a bow. Though I was taught mainly by elves, after I had healed from Balfur's birth, I started training with him strapped to my back. When I'm not riding I strap him on my back still ,like I will after we finish eating." **Bilbo said and smiled at his son. "**Would you like another bite of soup?"**

**"No bread please."**

**"Alright sweetheart, just eat slow." **He said and smiled at his son, as the child ate the bread slowly, He went back to eating his soup. It reminded him of what Bombur used to make, hearty and filling, as well as spicy enough to make his eyes water. Bilbo had missed eating spicy food, the elves ate a bland diet and although Bilbo had been allowed access to the kitchen, he had cooked according to the preferences of his hosts. He'd love to experiment with dwarven spices now he had an opportunity to do so. He wondered at how dwarven recipes differed, after all he'd only ever tried traveling food and even that had been good, Bombur had been able to stretch things wonderfully, which had been something Bilbo himself struggled with when he'd volunteered to cook for his traveling companions on the way back to Erebor. He finished the soup taking a bit of the bread and sopping what was left in the bowl, before requesting another one. After he had finished another two bowls and Thorn had finished off the bread, he paid and smiled when he was lead by Talmir to the audience hall. The line to get into the hall was long and he waited with Thorn strapped to his back.

"**Down Amad."**

**"No sweetling, we have to wait in line, but how about a song? You like the one about the seven Fathers don't you?" **He asked and Thorn clapped his hands.

"**Yes Amad sing me it."**

**"Father Mahal had seven sons, seven sons had Father Mahal, I am one of them and so are you, so lets all sing along. Right arm. Father Mahal had seven sons, seven sons had Father Mahal, I am one of them and so are you, so lets all sing along. Left Arm. Father Mahal had seven sons, seven sons had Father Mahal, I am one of them and so are you, so lets all sing along. Right Leg. Father Mahal had seven sons, seven sons had Father Mahal, I am one of them and so are you, so lets all sing along. Left Leg. Father Mahal had seven sons, seven sons had Father Mahal, I am one of them and so are you, so lets all sing along." **He smiled at the children who also started singing the song and copying his movements, as his son laughed happily on his back, little legs kicking him accidentally occasionally.

"**Fire song Amad!"**

**"Oh, misty eye of the mountain below**

**Keep careful watch of my brothers' souls**  
**And should the sky be filled with fire and smoke**  
**Keep watching over Durin's son**

**If this is to end in fire**  
**Then we should all burn together**  
**Watch the flames climb high into the night**  
**Calling out for the rope, sent by and we will**  
**Watch the flames burn on and on the mountain side hey**

**And if we should die tonight**  
**Then we should all die together**  
**Raise a glass of wine for the last time**  
**Calling out for the rope**  
**Prepare as we will**  
**Watch the flames burn on and on the mountain side**  
**Desolation comes upon the sky**

**Now I see fire, inside the mountain**  
**I see fire, burning the trees**  
**And I see fire, hollowing souls**  
**And I see fire, blood in the breeze**  
**And I hope that you'll remember me**

**Oh, should my people fall**  
**Then surely I'll do the same**  
**Confined in mountain halls**  
**We got too close to the flame**  
**Calling out father hold fast and we will**  
**Watch the flames burn on and on the mountain side**  
**Desolation comes upon the sky**

**Now I see fire, inside the mountain**  
**I see fire, burning the trees**  
**And I see fire, hollowing souls**  
**And I see fire, blood in the breeze**  
**And I hope that you'll remember me**

**And if the night is burning**  
**I will cover my eyes**  
**For if the dark returns then**  
**My brothers will die**  
**And as the sky's falling down**  
**It crashed into this lonely town**  
**And with that shadow upon the ground**  
**I hear my people screaming out**

**Now I see fire, inside the mountain**  
**I see fire, burning the trees**  
**And I see fire, hollowing souls**  
**And I see fire, blood in the breeze**

**I see fire, oh you know I saw a city burning (fire)**  
**And I see fire, feel the heat upon my skin (fire)**  
**And I see fire (fire)**  
**And I see fire (burn on and on and mountains side).**"

Bilbo sang and smiled at the sound of his son's snores, he had written the son when his son was a baby, he would sang the one he had written and the one that Thorin had sung the first day they met interchangeably. He smiled softly and realized everyone was staring at him.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"**I'm sorry if my song bothered you, my son loves it and I wanted him something to remember his Father by."**

**"Your son is a child of battle?" **Someone asked and Bilbo nodded.

"**Aye I come to ask the King for his protection and lodging for me and my son. I wish for him to be raised among his people." **Bilbo said.

"**A worthy desire, he is a very cute lad, a credit to his line." **A dwarf said and Bilbo smiled softly.

"**Thank you." **He said and a messanger appeared in front of him.

"**Your song has made the King wish to see you next, it was very beautiful."**

**"Thank you." **Bilbo said and smiled and walked behind the messenger, he smiled when he saw his old friends gathered together at a high table.

He managed to hold back tears, but barely, he had thought Thorin and the boys to be dead, yet there they were a bit worse for wear, but they were alive. He couldn't help but burst into tears and he cried freely.

"**What is wrong Shield Maiden? Why do you weep, surely my face isn't that ghastly." **Kili said, Bilbo continued crying, unable to stop the tears that ran down his face, unable to speak through his sobs. Then Fili smiled at Kili, before his fingers clumsily signed.

**_Shield Mother, it is alright to be sad, much was lost I hear that you lost your One in the Battle of Five Armies? _**It took several long minutes for Bilbo to pull himself together.

**"Yes, I lost my One in the reclaiming of Erebor, I would ask for lodging for my son and myself."**

**"Of course, we will provide for you, where he cannot, as it has always been and as it will always be." **Thorin replied and Bilbo smiled.

"**I am glad to know that you have survived, I had heard rumors that you had died during the battle."**

**"Where did you hear such rumors?"**

**"In the Iron Hills, before I left to go to the Blue Mountains, I didn't make it. Balfur was born in Rivendell and there I have lived for the past three years, until he was strong enough to travel. By then my grief had lessened and I wished for my son to grow up in the kingdom that his Father died for. To live amongst his people and to grow into a strong dwarf that the man I knew would be proud of."**

**"A worthy goal indeed, you will given lodging amongst the Shield Mothers, what is your chosen craft?"**

**"Scribing, I speak and write the three most common elvan languages, as well as reading rune signs, both ancient and modern and speaking both the old tongue and the new. I also am fond of writing songs and singing them. I have a passable voice and I can play the lute. I didn't receive training in weapons until three years ago and I fight in the style of Rivendell elves, as they were the ones who gave me formal instruction."**

**"Elves?" **Kili blurted out and Bilbo nodded.

"**Aye, elves I'm just a novice though, at the bow, sword and daggers."**

**"How have you had the time to do anything, with such a small child?" **Kili asked.

"**Kili! Be curious at all times, even when someone has lived an interesting life, we do not ask prying questions." **Thorin said sternly and Bilbo had to fight back a laugh.

"**Its quite alright, Prince Presumptive Kili son of Vili son of Cili was merely curious sire. As to how I was able to care for Baldur it was simple enough, when he cries, I feed him, or change him. When he wants to play I stop for a time and I play with him, when he wants to sleep, I simply strap him to my back. I also had help with him, Elrond became like a Grandfather to my son."**

**"You were that close with Elrond?"**

**"Our relationship developed with time, but I felt uncomfortable asking guest right of him for any longer than three years. I decided to return here and live among the Shield Maidens. I do not wish to show my face, or tell anyone of who I am in truth, my husband had several enemies and I would not want them to harm my son. I want him to have a childhood and not to be constantly worried about who might attack him next."**

**"If his father had that many enemies, it would be far better to reveal yourself, or at least present yourself to his kin, or your kin."**

**"I have no kin and I do not wish to burden his family."**

**"It would not be a burden, such a child is a joy to behold, and his family deserves to know him." **Balin said and Bilbo sighed.

"**If I am to reveal myself, I want the King's oath that I will not come to harm, nor will my son. Whatever crimes I committed, or my One committed will be absolved and we will be allowed to live with the Shield Maidens. I will be allowed to determine how my son is educated and raise him how I see fit."**

**"I give it gladly Shield Maiden, return to us, your people." **Thorin said and Bilbo nodded, he removed his hood and untied his mask, silence filled the room.

"**Hello Thorin, I'm glad your alive, I had thought you dead or else I would have returned sooner." **Bilbo said.

"**Bilbo?" **Fili and Kili demanded at the same time and Bilbo smiled softly.

"**Lads, can I hug you?" **Bilbo asked and a moment later both stood, they walked more hesitantly than they had before and he swept them up into his arms hugging them both. He cried and they did as well, he'd missed them so much, his boys. Thorn woke up and started crying. Without thinking Bilbo undid the straps and held Thorn on his hip.

"**How?"**

**"Well hobbits are children of Yavannah aren't they? To keep it as simple as possible, we can both seed and grow our children, all hobbits have that ability." **Bilbo said and smiled softly.

"**Amad, who?" **Thorn asked and Bilbo smiled.

"**These are your cousins, Fili and Kili and that is your Adad." **He said and pointed at Thorin. "**I believe that that is your Auntie Dis and those are your Uncles, Balin, Dwalin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Ori, Nori, Dori, Oin and Gloin."**

**"Company?"**

**"Yes my cleaver little lamb, this is the Company." **He said and smiled as his son's eyes grew wide and he smiled broadly, before waving and sticking his hand in his mouth.

"**He looks so much like Frerin." **Dis said.

"**I thought he got his hair from me, until the beard started growing in." **Bilbo said with a laugh. "**He takes after you more than me Thorin, I don't want him to see you, without me present for now."**

**"How dare you?"**

**"No how dare you, how dare you go mad, how dare you dangle me from a battlement, how dare you become mortally injured, I thought you were dead, I thought you were dead for over three years. I did what I had to, in order to survive, in order to protect myself and my son. Because my One decided that a shiny stone was more important than me, more important than our son, more important than his nephews and the Company. I am not sorry that I stole the Arkenstone; it was necessary because you weren't in your right mind. You could not be reasoned with, we would have died within two weeks. So I'm not sorry for saving your life, my life and the lives of my chosen family."**

**"You are my One, you admit to be my One, yet you betrayed me."**

**"As did you Thorin! At least I betrayed you to save our lives, you did it simply because you were a madman and the person I loved was replaced by a stranger, a stranger who then proceeded to...to do what you did. I was not enough for you, I couldn't make you come back to yourself and something needed to be done, in order to protect Thorn."**

**"Did you know you were carrying him, when you...when you did what you did?"**

**"Aye, I knew, I knew from the moment of his conception in Laketown. I wished to wait until after the danger had passed to inform you, I know how protective people can be of those that are with child. I wouldn't wait in Laketown while you faced the dragon alone and so I came with you. However when it was a choice between you and my child, I chose my child." **Bilbo said and fingered his throat a nervous gesture he'd developed. A moment later Thorin started sobbing it sounded so heart broken and heart wrenching, a moment later the doors to the audience hall slammed closed and they were left with several guards, noblemen and the Company. It hurt Bilbo to see Thorin hurting deep in his soul, it hurt and he had to make Thorin feel better, he would give anything to make Thorin smile in that moment.

Bilbo walked forward and gently settled his son in Dis' lap, his son looked confused, to be set in a stranger's lap. "Its alright Thorn, this is your Auntie Dis."

"Ti ti Dis?" Thorn asked and smiled up at her. "I Durin."

"You aren't Durin, Durin was your ancestor, and he's gone to the Halls." Bilbo repeated for what seemed to be the hundredth time.

"I Durin, I like hammer rattle, I like funny painting, I like statue of son, I Durin."

"By my beard, he is Durin, he is Durin reborn." Balin said and Bilbo sighed.

"His name is Thorn and his name will remain Thorn, it's a perfectly respectable name. I won't have expectations set on his shoulders that he isn't prepared for."

"Yet the child seems to know himself, does he have nightmares?" Balin asked and Bilbo nodded.

"Yes but when I sing him some of the dwarven lullabies..." Bilbo paled. "Sweetheart do you remember living with other people, other than me and Grandfather?"

"**Yes I had Adad, then I had Amads and other Adads then you. Love all, miss all, and love you. Want you!" **He said and made grabby hands, Bilbo picked him up and stared down at his son.

"**I love you too, Thorn."**

**"I not Thorn, I not Bal.. I Durin." **Durin said and Bilbo sighed.

"**It seems the Valar love to mess with me, very well if you want me to call you Durin, I will call you Durin. However you are just a wee lad and I will not be treating you like some great hero, when you're still in nappies." **Bilbo said and Durin pouted. "**None of that lad, I am your Amad and you will listen to me, even though I know your family will spoil you and want to make you happy, you need to have discipline and order and know you are safe. You are safe, you are loved so very much, by me and in time by those around you."**

**"Our little cousin is Durin?" **Kili said and laughed. "**Well Uncle you have all the luck, the Valar do indeed enjoy playing with you." **A moment later Thorin moaned and passed out.

The other dwarves in the room didn't seem much better off, very few had any color in their faces. "Do you need to sit down boys, I know it must be a bit of a shock to you."

"Understatement of the century Bilbo, Mahal we missed you."

"That's the thing about being banished under threat of death, its sort of hard to get around." Bilbo said and laughed.

"Its not funny Bilbo! we sent a letter to the Shire two years ago, but there was no response. We had no idea where you were and then you come in here, with our baby cousin? After all this time, why now?" Kili demanded.

"First off I didn't know you were even alive, I thought you had died during the battle, I thought that Thorin had died during the battle. Secondly how was I supposed to travel with a newborn, I had to get him somewhere safe. I had to have them around people I trusted and I didn't trust the Mirkwood elves, or the dwarves of Erebor. Was I supposed to go off of blind faith that you wouldn't kill me and kill my son, right after I was nearly thrown off the Battlements? "

"When none of you did anything to stop him from killing me? I'm here now because he'd never be accepted among my people and I couldn't impose upon Elrond, after a while people would start asking about the dwarven child playing with his children and that would be a diplomatic nightmare of epic proportions. I know I might not look it, but I am from the old line, descended from the Kings of old, when such was necessary in the Shire. Once we stopped wandering and were able to live our lives in peace, we decided to not have a monarchy anymore and the royal family was set to becoming landlords and seeing to the needs of the people in their care. My Grandfather is Thrain in the Shire, but Shire folk do not treat those born out of wedlock at all well, let alone those of different races. My son would have been an outcast there and I'm aware that my people have their faults, but so do dwarves. As does any race on Middle Earth, none of us are perfect, we simply are as the Valar intended." He gasped for breath as he finished and realized that several more dwarves had passed out during his tongue-lashing.

"Bilbo you are literally glowing and your face is bright red." Kili said and Bilbo took a deep breath.

"I once met a fair maiden going to the fair, her face was as dark as rich soil and she was as pure as the driven snow. I asked her "maiden fair, where do you go."

She answered with slight smile and a light in her eyes, "I go to market, to make a meal of first meeting, come with me and we will eat together forevermore."

I looked at my maiden fair, so glad that I had chosen to go to the fair, for forevermore she would be by my side." Bilbo felt the fury ebb away and burst into tears.

"**Adad, sad why sad?"**

Bilbo couldn't answer his son, he simply wept holding his son against him, Durin cuddled against him a tiny hand coming up and stroking his hair. "**No cry Adad, I here."**

**"Its me that's supposed to comfort you Durin."**

**"We both do." **Durin said and smiled up at Bilbo, he was such a tiny little boy, how could anyone look at him and see a grown dwarven warrior?

"**I love you Durin, all I do for you is because I love you and I want what is best for you."**

**"You good Amad, know love me, I love you Amad." **Durin said and Bilbo smiled, before he kissed the top of Durin's head.

"**Your a good lad Durin, could I have a drink." **He asked.

"Of course you can have a drink, I think we could all do with one, after what just happened." Dis said and sighed. "I suppose smelling salts are also necessary, would you take your place besides Thorin, I can move down a seat and Durin can sit on your lap for now. I think we can worry about the succession at another time."

"He was born out of wedlock."

"Aye but that doesn't matter in Dwarven inheritance law, because he has lived before and is Durin no less, his claim supersedes all others." Balin said and Bilbo noticed how relieved both Kili and Fili looked.

"That's a lot to ask of a three year old child, I want him to have a childhood, to be able to enjoy things other children enjoy and not to have to grow up fast, because he is to be king." Bilbo stated flatly. "He might be the reincarnated child of the Valar Mahal, but that doesn't mean he's any less my son, or any less a child." Bilbo said and drained a cup of wine he was given.

"What happened earlier?"

"As you are your Father's sons, my people are our Mother's Daughters, when we feel our children are being threatened, even indirectly, some of the Valar Yavannah's strength passes into us. We become vessels for her power and we are ten times stronger than we are normally and much more adept at fighting."

"You felt threatened by me?" Kili demanded looking hurt.

"Lad think for a moment how hard it was for me to come here, I revealed myself because I couldn't bare to hide myself from you. However I won't take up residence in the royal quarters, for all that I love Thorin I barely know him, I thought I knew him, I thought I knew what manner of man he was and then well...Anyway its not that I don't love all of you, never doubt that, its simply that I don't trust any of you right now. Perhaps in time I can trust you again and you can trust me again, but what matters most right now is Durin. For his sake, I want to keep it civil between us, if nothing else can be managed." Bilbo said and sat down between Thorin and Dis.

"Have you eaten?"

"I had breakfast and lunch, but I'm hungry again, it should be time for afternoon tea what about you Lad, are you hungry?" He asked Durin who nodded. "Unfortunately Durin has inherited my metabolism which should prove to be problematic once he starts training with a sword." He said and laughed wryly. "Elrond was astonished by the amount of food I ate after training and when I was pregnant. It surprised me how most can so easily function on three meals a day."

"You need more?" Kili asked.

"We eat seven meals in one day, its not only because we enjoy it, we actually need to eat that much."

"Why?"

"Well in case of bad winters, or times when we can't eat as much as is necessary to stay healthy. Most of the journey I had to rely upon my fat stores, in order to survive, it makes us slow and sluggish to burn fat like that and our children can't do it, like older hobbits can. Its a way my people have adapted over the years, to ensure we don't starve during hard winters, or other times of famine."

"You were literally starving the entire time you were with us?" Kili demanded and Bilbo shrugged.

"The things we do for love, course I had to go and love a King. I knew the moment he sang, I knew that my heart was his and I would follow him, even if it meant my death. It nearly did, it nearly meant my death, so forgive me if I'm not exactly eager to play the dutiful One for Thorin. I still love him, I'll always love him, but I'm not sure love will be enough in our case and I had no idea he was even alive."

"We knew you lived, because Uncle didn't die, so I can assume that if your One passes, you still live."

"Yes, though we say true love and not One, we only have one true love like dwarves. However unlike dwarves, we don't die at their passing, being without your true love, feels like there is a hole in your heart. However I don't trust Thorin, it will take time for me to learn to trust him again. After everything that happened between us, but when I don't wake up screaming, my hand grasping at my throat, I wake up screaming from reliving the Battle of Five Armies. Every night I either have to watch Thorin strangle me, or what I thought was his last moments. So you could say I have some issues, but they aren't without reason." Bilbo said. "You can be mad at me if you like Kili, but everything I did I did to protect myself and my son. Don't bother the servants, I'll just go to get quarters with the shield maids and make afternoon tea myself." Bilbo said. "I just finished traveling from Rivendell to Erebor and I'm exhausted, the last thing I need is to have a hundred different questions asked of me."

"Of course you will be allowed to lodge with them, until such a time that you feel comfortable living with Thorin again." Dis said and smiled. "I would hope that you would join us for dinner though."

"Maybe breakfast tomorrow, I'm exhausted from traveling and I'd like to unpack what I brought with me and recover somewhat from the journey." He said and Dis nodded.

"As is understandable, was it a pleasant journey?"

"We were able to avoid trouble, luckily, though we had a few close calls. It was fairly uneventful all told, the worst thing we faced was a pack of wolves, which aren't so bad in comparison to Orcs, Goblins and Trolls." He said and the company all laughed. Their laughter startled Thorin out of his stupor and he stared at Bilbo with complete and utter devotion, before he kissed Bilbo soundly on the lips.

Bilbo felt himself fall into Thorin's eyes, he kissed back a moment, before he realized where he was and how they had an audience. More than that he realized it was Thorin who was kissing him and he had no idea of what to think about that. So he didn't think, he panicked he ran towards the door and when it didn't open his fingers scrambled for purchase. It was only the sound of Durin's crying that brought him back from the fear filled haze he sometimes fell under. He crumpled in on himself and starting sobbing, careful not to harm his son. Durin stared at him as he held his knees to his chest.

"**Why scared?" **He asked innocently and Bilbo stared at his child, he couldn't stop shaking. "**I have bad dreams, I get scared, you hold me, and I hold you?" **He asked and Bilbo was able to let his son sit in his lap, baby arms wrapping around him. "**Its okay, no monsters get you, I pro..pro, I help, I good lad." **Durin said and Bilbo cried even harder, his baby dreamt of fighting a Balrog, of dying over and over again. He hoped that Durin didn't fully remember his dreams, didn't fully remember his past lives, because that was too much for anyone to handle, without going insane.

He cried for what seemed to be ages and he couldn't stop shaking even after Dwalin handed him a canteen full of strong spirits. He hated when this happened, hated that he was so weak. The elves called it Warrior's Dreams and claimed that his fea was sick from what had happened to him over the course of the journey. All Bilbo knew was that if someone made any sudden moves, even if it was reassuring and they were attempting to be loving and kind, he might panic. Like he was panicking now.

"Right now, erm I'm just going to sit here for a time. If you need me I'm here, if you just want to sit, then that's fine too." Dwalin said. "I'm sorry that you have battle sickness, but know that there are others like you and you are never alone." He added and Bilbo felt himself crying harder. "Did I make it worse?" Dwalin asked and Bilbo shook his head, as he sobbed. "Do you want me here?" He asked and Bilbo nodded. "Do you want the others here too?"

"Too many." Bilbo said. "I can't handle being close to a lot of people, not now." He said and Dwalin nodded.

"All of this must have been a shock to you, it was to us as well. I'm glad that your alright and that I have a little cousin."

"Nephew." Bilbo corrected and Dwalin smiled.

"Nephew, if you want me to be Durin's Uncle, then I will, though I don't understand it. What did you mean when you called us all his Uncles."

"You are my chosen family, I consider you to be brothers, except for the boys who I consider to be nephews and Thorin, who I feel...I don't know how I feel, I thought he was dead until this morning." He shook again his hand fingering the amber necklace that hung around his neck. Arwen had given it to him along with a matching one for Durin, when she had seen how he had a nervous habit of running his hands along his throat. Now instead he ran his hands along the amber and touching it calmed him. It centered him when he had one of his attacks.

"Mother protect me, guide me through life and unto death, Mother protect me, guide me through life and unto death..."He said the prayer he had learned as a child, when he believed that Mother Yavannah would always protect and care for him. Now he wasn't so certain but the words calmed him and centered him. They seemed to have a calming effect on Durin as well, as the lad's grip on Bilbo slackened and he started snoring loudly.

Durin couldn't sleep properly unless Bilbo held him and even then the boy would wake up several times a night, screaming, right now he seemed at peace, a small smile curving the edges of his face. At least he was a sound sleeper when not having nightmares and Bilbo didn't need to worry about disturbing him. Whenever his son had pleasant dreams Bilbo loved to watch him sleep, but the pleasant dreams were few and far between. Bilbo had thought it was just ordinary nightmares like most children had, not dreams of battles that had ended centuries before Bilbo had even been born.

His son was a Warrior and who was Bilbo, a coward, he'd gone on one quest and now if someone came at him in the wrong way, he didn't know how he'd react. He was glad that he'd run instead of stabbing Thorin, like he'd nearly stabbed Elladan when the boy had snuck up on him. The thought of stabbing Thorin made him sob again and Dwalin passed him another canteen full of liquor. "If you need to sleep its alright, we can talk too and we can have something to eat if your hungry, only please stop crying."

"I can't." Bilbo said and continued crying his entire body shaking. "I don't know what I want right now." That was a lie, he wanted Thorin, but Thorin was also the person that he most feared. He wanted Thorin, yet he didn't want Thorin. His heart yearned for Thorin with every ounce of his being, yet he woke up nightly from the memory of Thorin's fingers around his neck. In his dreams Thorin didn't stop, he was either dropped to the rocks, or the world became smaller and smaller, until he was looking over his dead body and Thorin was standing there smiling, before he shaved his feet and spat on his corpse. Bilbo knew that Thorin most likely regretted what had happened between them, but he had no idea if he could ever trust Thorin again.

"That's alright, when I get like this, I either train with other warriors, or I go and mine, you like writing though don't you?" He asked and smiled softly. "I remember you were always scribbling in that journal, just like my Ori." He added.

"Your Ori?"

"Aye, we were going to tell you eventually but Ori is a lass, not a lad and she's my One, as I'm her's." Dwalin said and a light filled his eyes and he smiled a genuine smile. Dwalin had never smiled on the quest, but then again considering that most of his family and his One had constantly been in danger, Bilbo supposed that he couldn't blame him. He liked Dwalin well enough, but of all his traveling companions besides Bifur, Dwalin was the one he knew least. It was nice that the dwarf was opening up a little. He'd always thought that Dwalin didn't like him, Dwalin had told him often enough that he thought Bilbo was too soft. Well he wasn't exactly soft anymore, the quest and the following years since it, had changed him fundamentally.

As for Ori, he supposed that it made sense, he'd chosen to pretend to be a dwarrowdam after all, until he saw Thorin and made an impulsive decision. He didn't regret making it though, because he'd most likely wouldn't have been able to keep his secret for long and this way he didn't feel guilty about trying to hide his son from Thorin and his family. He didn't feel guilty about waiting until it was safe for Durin to travel, babies were fragile things after all, their fea was not so strongly tethered to this world quite yet. They could so easily return to the realm of the Valar. A year ago Durin had gotten the flu and had nearly died from it, Bilbo remembered holding him close and caring for him constantly, he hadn't slept for a week, until Durin's fever broke and he slept for four days straight.

What was he thinking of? He shook himself slightly clearing the thoughts from his head. Thorin seemed like he wouldn't harm him, he looked up and saw Thorin staring at him; a look of such utter despair on his face, before he looked away, the moment Bilbo's eyes met his. Thorin seemed to fold in on himself, trying to look non-threatening which was impossible, because Thorin was a big dwarf and would always strike an imposing figure. However the sight of Thorin trying to look less intimidating to put Bilbo at ease, made Bilbo laugh, before he started sobbing all over again. He grabbed Dwalin's arm and put it around his shoulders curling against the other dwarf as he sobbed.

"There now, its alright." Dwalin said and looked so very awkward, that it made Bilbo laugh again, before he returned to crying.

"I can't stop."

"You don't have to, it's alright, I'm here and if you want some of the others here too, they would gladly come. However since I was the first one to run over here like a ninny, you should be clear. Do you want me here?"

"Yes, I need you right now, I hate falling apart like this."

"I do too, it happens at the oddest times and..."Dwalin started sobbing as well his fists clenched tightly, though he still felt comforting and warm. He started shaking a moment later and Bilbo realized that Dwalin was the one that was freaking out now.

"Ori, could you come over here?" Bilbo asked before handing the flask back to Dwalin. "Dwalin drink some of this, can you turn yourself back, I can sometimes, and if I think about something I love. Tell me if I need to move, because I feel like you'd never deliberately hurt Durin, but if you are going into the dark place, I need enough time to get away." He said and Dwalin stared at him in shocked surprise, Bilbo held the canteen to his lips and Dwalin drank some of it, before he gulped it down, as he shook. "Now do you want Ori, do you want me here, or do you want to be off alone."

"I want Ori and you." Dwalin said and shuddered.

"Alright then, how are you feeling right now?" Bilbo asked.

"Sad, I'm trying not to think about things but it's hard."

"Right, sometimes when I try not to think about things, I write or I sing." Bilbo said. "We could sing a song of making, if you like? Or I could sing a song about gems, or flowers. I like to sing."

"Roses are like time, they bloom and grow, before being picked and pressed into diaries and journal by some young lass. Who in turn, blooms and grows, into a young maiden, who finds her true love and has his children, those children in turn bloom and grow, becoming mothers and fathers themselves. On and on it goes, some have their beauty fade and youth becomes a memory, others leave us far too soon. Yet others are remembered, in old books that are passed down from generation to generation, but none hold the perfect beauty of a rose in bloom better than the rose itself." Bilbo sang as Dwalin drank from the flask and Ori settled under his other arm.

"The other day I was thinking about making some gloves, your hands have looked cold lately and the last several pairs I made have been washed so many times that they are starting to fall apart. I know how you like to wear them during winter and you can read to me while I knit tonight, I'm thinking of making them either black, or blue, or maybe I'll get some grey yarn and they can be silver. I'm not really sure what color to settle on yet." Ori added before climbing into Dwalin's lap, Dwalin's arm wrapped around her and she smiled softly, one hand coming up to caress his hair. "My warrior, so strong for so many people, yet you never allow yourself to feel, you keep this barrier up always, only rarely letting it down, like you are doing now." She said and gently stroked his hair, as Dwalin finished off the canteen. "Now do you want to go back to our quarters, or stay here with me and Bilbo and the wee one."

"I want to stay." Dwalin said and Ori smiled.

"Alright then, I believe you said you were hungry Bilbo?"

"I am, but I don't need to eat..."

"I'm going to cut you off there, you need to eat, or else you wouldn't have mentioned it. You need to eat what you need to eat, it's all right and we have servants to cook and clean for us, so we can take care of other people. I'm glad that I have the time to read what I want when I'm not attempting to research something for the King, or someone needs me to look into the current law, because its changed with time. I always have a book open during audience meetings and some plan of what I'll read or write about next. I couldn't do that, if I had to constantly worry about what I was going to cook next."

"Cooking is fun, it's not a chore, its life. Everything I eat was once alive, but is not alive any longer, because it was necessary to sustain my own life. I love to cook all manner of things, but I always know the cost of my meal. The worst thing I ever had to eat was my own parents." Bilbo said and looked at his lap. "We were all starving and then my Father died and my Mother followed him and I was forced to eat my parents in order to survive." He shuddered at the memory. "Yet they live on in me."

"You had to eat your parents?" Ori demanded. "Is this a common practice in the Shire?"

"When there isn't any other option there is, we couldn't dig ourselves out and I wasn't the only one who had to...do what I did."

"And I thought you were inexperienced." Dwalin said.

"Oh you were right about that, I hadn't gone farther away than two days walk in my life, before I went on the quest. Please don't ask me what it tasted like, its one of those memories that I keep buried for a reason."

"My cousin died in my arms, it was my job to protect him and he died in my arms." Dwalin said and started sobbing. "I couldn't p..pro..."

"Dwalin you were just a boy then yourself, no one blames you for it, I imagine that they might blame themselves for what happened that day, just as you do. It wasn't anyone's fault, a bad decision was made and many suffered for it, it could have just as easily have been you. I could be comforting Frerin and not you, if things had worked out differently. You survived, be it through the will of the Valar, or your own personal skill and Frerin didn't. Sometimes someone can be highly skilled a great warrior and they can still die, because someone gets a lucky strike in. Trust me I know, after all, I wasn't exactly a warrior when I joined the quest and yet I was still able to kill people who were much more capable than me."

"Orcs aren't people."

"If you want to believe that, that's your choice, I view all sentient life forms that can talk to me as people personally, but I know not everyone feels the same way I do about that. You can't however torture yourself over something that happened over eighty years ago. I will never know Frerin, but I know this much, he wouldn't want you to torture yourself over what happened to him. He is in the maker's halls and he'll give you a good kick in the ass once you arrive there yourself, if you keep blaming yourself for what happened to him." Bilbo said and laughter broke out among his friends and even Dwalin laughed.

"You know him so well, how can you, when you've never met him?"

"I might not have met Frerin, but I know all of you and I know what your like, therefore I know what he was like as well to some degree. Even though he is in the maker's halls, he also lives on in your memory." He said and smiled.

"If one of us had died in Mirkwood, would you have eaten us?" Dwalin asked and Bilbo shrugged.

"Depends on the circumstance, if you had wanted me to, I would have, if you didn't want me to, I wouldn't. The eating of sentient flesh is sacred to my people, it is only done when we have to. When there is no other choice, but to eat, or to die. If I was starving and one of you had been near death and you had offered to let me eat your flesh, I would have. If one of you had died without giving your permission, I would have honored that as well and I would have died before disgracing myself."

"Disgracing yourself?"

"You should never take sentient flesh when it is not offered, for those that have had it, get a taste for it." Bilbo said and shuddered. "Some nights I dream of the time I was forced to eat my parents and I don't know if its a nightmare, or a good dream, because those were the last moments I had with them and a part of them will always be in me." Bilbo said.

"Some of our rituals are strange to outsiders, it makes sense from a logical standpoint, but I'm not sure I could do it." Ori said. "Even if there was no other option."

"Now I wouldn't, but I was only ten then, when my mother told me to do something I did it, even if it was...well." He trailed off.

"Wow your kind of a warrior in your own way." Ori said and Bilbo shrugged.

"Gandalf knew that I had taken in the flesh of my parents, he knew that I would do anything to survive. He also knew that you needed help. He had no idea that Thorin was my one, even wizards aren't allowed to know the nature of other's hearts. Nor how fate and the Valar guide this world, but I knew the moment he sang that there was no true choice for me. What I did on the quest, all I did was necessary for my survival and the survival of the Company; I really feel that if I could do it over again, I wouldn't change anything. What if I changed something and that meant that Durin was never born, or one of you died? At any rate I don't regret my actions, particularly now that I know that you are all actually alive. There were things I could have possibly handled better, but I think that's true of all of us. I'm just so happy that Thorin and the boys are alive, even though I'm still afraid of Thorin, it doesn't mean I don't still love him."

"I love you too, I'm sorry Bilbo, and I wasn't in my right mind."

"I know that, but it doesn't excuse it, are you better now?"

"Aye it took loosing you and fighting a battle to clear my head of the gold madness." Thorin replied and Bilbo smiled.

"I'm glad that your better, but it will take me a while to trust you again, if I ever can."

"I wouldn't deserve your trust, I nearly killed you and our child." Thorin said. "I know telling you I'm sorry doesn't begin to cover it, but I've had nightmares every night since that night, nightmares that I didn't stop, that I killed you, I wake up screaming." He said and Bilbo looked at him across the room.

"So do I." Bilbo said and smiled at Dwalin. "How about a barging Dwalin? I can work on forgiving Thorin, if you can work on forgiving yourself." Dwalin burst into tears and suddenly wrapped his arms around the hobbit pulling him against Ori and lifting him into his lap, somehow he managed to do so without harming or even disturbing Durin. Dwalin sobbed against both of them, his hands clasping them tightly against him. Bilbo didn't feel threatened, he just saw how his friend was hurting.

"May I braid your beard?" Bilbo asked and Dwalin nodded, Bilbo took a tiny section of hair from Dwalin's beard and braided the warrior's oath braid into his beard. He then took out one of his ribbons and braided the same braid in his own hair. " Nothing defeats us, nothing stops us, except ourselves. One has offered to make an oath and the other can choose to accept or "As long as we choose to braid it, we choose to honor the oath between us. We are stronger together than we are alone, we are all brothers and sisters in battle. We are warriors, those that were able to come home and those that are in the halls of the Maker Mahal the oath that has been made between two brothers. For even the strongest have something they fear and even the weakest have something or someone that they will die to protect." He finished and they both glowed with a golden light, as long as they both wore the braid, their oath would be binding. That particular strand of hair would never get dirty despite what might happen. The one that offered the oath and spoke the ritual words had to be honest in their intentions for the ritual to work.

"That ritual hasn't been used since I was a boy." Balin said and Bilbo smiled.

"Well considering that my teachers in dwarven customs and language were all immortal beings, I would imagine some of it is outdated." Bilbo said and Ori laughed.

"I had never thought to see such an oath sworn, let alone by a hobbit." Ori said and Bilbo arched an eyebrow.

"Oh I'm sure your going to call me a Halfling next, I'm not half of anything." Bilbo said and the Company laughed.

"Your a force of nature, please don't come after me now, I'm perfectly happy with how I am." Kili said.

"I'm glad that your happy with who you are, its hard to be at your age. You boys can always talk to me, I hope you know that." Bilbo said and smiled down at his little son, the child was staring wide eyed at Dwalin.

"Pretty Daddy, I like that one." He said and smiled and clapped his hands. "Be see be hear, da brofer's bond, is fun to say with brofer's, brofers in..." He patted his chest. "with **Amad and Adad **all brofers." He said and looked up at Bilbo. "Did I say good **Amad."**

"Very good my little one, I think everyone liked what you said."

"Aye of course we liked it lad." Dwalin said and smiled. "Your hair hasn't been braided for the first time, yet has it?"

"**Amad pretty clips."**

"Yes we put pretty clips in your hair, do you want some pretty clips in your hair?" Bilbo asked and Durin nodded. "Alright then but first I think we might need to take a bath, since everyone knows about my son now, I hope it won't be too much of an imposition to ask for protection for me and my boy, but more than that I think we could both do with a bath."

"Of course you should wash the dust of the road off, I'll go with you and the boy and my personal attendants can accompany me." Kili said and smiled at Bilbo. "It just will take a bit for us to get there."

"Are you sure Kili, my Cousin is a Bounder and his leg got injured like yours, I know how painful it can be to walk for long distances when you have a old war wound."

"Nonsense, if my Uncle Dain can manage without his leg at all, I think I could manage a bit of a limp." Kili said and smiled. "I'm going to go with Bilbo now brother, stay with Uncle and Mother."

"Yes Kili." Fili said and gave a boyish smile. "I'll stay with Uncle and Mama." Several of the people looked sad at the way Fili spoke.

"Nonsense, you shouldn't be staying with them, you should be coming with us." Bilbo said and smiled. "I want both you boys to come, lets get away from the court and then you can play with your little cousin."

"Not both at once, cause bad men." Fili said.

"Well then Fili and I can go and Kili can stay here. I think Fili and I will get on just fine, I have cousins who've had similar injuries and well they are able to relearn a lot, but some things are just beyond them. I think Kili would better serve as advisor for now, just until Fili is ready to take his place. Fili how much of this are you understanding."

"They shout, then Uncle shouts, then they shout again. We argue all the time, bout all kinds of stuff and things."

"Do you remember what is talked about?" Bilbo asked.

"Its all too much, can't keep it straight."

"Well then how about this, for a little bit at least, you can stay with me and Durin and we'll do fun things like baking and beading, as well as reading stories and books. Then when your ready, you can go back to the council hall and take part in how your people govern themselves. For now however you have no business in the council chamber, not when you have no idea what is going on. How much do you remember Fili?"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"Remember?" Fili said and frowned. "What you mean, remember? I don't remember anything, Mama and Uncle have been telling me about what happened little brother does too."

"Well lad, you shouldn't be expected to be as you were before, if you get to be that way, everyone will be very happy. But you need to grow and develop like a dwarfling, what's two plus two?"

"Four?" He asked and Bilbo nodded.

"Very good what's eight times eight?"

"What?" Fili asked and Bilbo sighed.

"Lad before you sit in the council hall every day, why don't you come and play with your little cousin?" Bilbo said and smiled. "I think you'll get on just fine with him, after all he has to relearn things as well. What's five times five Fili?"

"I don't know." Fili said and started to cry, before running over to Bilbo, Bilbo sighed and hugged Fili.

"It's twenty five, Grandfather Gandalf taught me that." Durin said and smiled brightly at Fili. "Its okay, I have bad dreams and bad memories, wish I didn't remember. You want to remember and I don't, but life is what it is." Durin said and Bilbo smiled at his little son.

"You know your pretty funny, when you want to get your way about something, you act like your age, but otherwise you act like a grown man. Regardless of how you're acting, I'm your Mama and I won't let you misbehave my little dwarfling." Bilbo said and Durin tugged on his hair.

"Mama I'm hungry." Durin said and Bilbo pulled out some jerky.

"Here lad eat this and it should tide you over until I can cook dinner."

"I don't want any more jerky! I want stew like we had before."

"Lad, we need to eat from food that's either given to us by the kitchens, or prepared in the kitchens." Bilbo said gently.

"Why?"

"Because you're the son of the King, surely you remember your lives before and you can answer that question yourself." Bilbo said and his son started to cry. "Oh sweetling, don't worry so, you know I will protect you, you have no reason to fear, as long as I am beside you."

"But you won't be! You gonna die."

"Sweetling, we all die one day, but I plan to live a very long time yet." Bilbo said and smiled softly. "We can but treasure the time we share together, for as little or as long of a time as it lasts."

"But your my Amad, you can't leave me!" Durin said and started crying uncontrollably.

"Oh sweetling, I will never leave you, when you look to the far distant star, that is me looking down at you, just like my parents look down at me." Bilbo said and rocked back and forth with his son. "I think you need to take that bath now." He said and was lead to an ornate room, where he drew a bath for him and his son. "Do you want to join us Fili? I'm afraid that the water will be very dirty soon and will need to be drained several times.

"I'll join you Bilbo." Fili said and smiled at the Hobbit. "I could use a bath." He added and Bilbo smiled, he took off his clothes, except for his under tunic and did the same for his child. He then settled Durin on his lap and started washing the boy, who giggled as he was washed.

"Well then my lad, do you want to try kicking your feet?" He asked and Durin nodded, he held out his hands and Bilbo took them, as the boy kicked his feet and laughed when the water splashed inside the tub.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm teaching my son how to swim." Bilbo said and smiled at Fili. "Do you know how to swim?" He asked and Fili shook his head. "Grab on to the side of the bath with both hands and kick your feet." Bilbo instructed and smiled as Fili did what he asked, kicking his feet against the water. "Very good, now what I want you to do is bring one arm up, over and around and then the next arm, then back to the first arm." He said and smiled as Fili copied him. "Very good, now you stay here Durin, while I help your cousin. Can you float on your back, just don't move, I've got you." Bilbo said and held him gently as he floated. "Very good, now move one arm, then the other arm, I've got a firm hand round your middle." He added. "Kick your feet at the same time." He said and smiled as Fili clumsily did as he said, there was nothing of the dwarf Bilbo had once known in Fili's clumsy strokes. "Very good, now just tell me when you get tired." Bilbo said.

"I wanna try to swim too Amad." Durin said.

"Well little fish, Cousin Fili gets to try first and after he's done, you can have a go."

"Really Amad?"

"Yes really, but don't forget to wash your hair and behind those ears, you wouldn't want cauliflower to grow there now would you?" Bilbo asked and Durin giggled.

"No silly Amad, I don' wan' no cauli-flower ears." Durin said and Bilbo laughed.

"That's my boy, now just don't leave that ledge." Bilbo said and Durin nodded, he washed himself, while Bilbo watched him and Fili.

"I'm tired Bilbo, Durin can have a go now." Fili said and Bilbo nodded, he scooped Durin up, the little boy laughing. He smiled softly and laid on his back with Durin lying on top of him.

"Now I'm not going to let you fall little one, just float a bit like me." Bilbo said and Durin copied his movements, Bilbo smiled and replaced his stomach with his hands, his boy not even noticing. "There you see I've still got you, now kick your feet." He said and Durin copied him, kicking his feet and laughing. "Good job, now move your arms, I still got you dear heart." He said and laughed along with Durin as Durin half splashed and half swum. "Well I think that's enough for now, we're all nice and clean, lets see about getting you dried off and dressed little one. Can you dress yourself Fili?"

"I can get on my underclothes, but Amad and Kili need to help me with the rest."

"Well then, I suppose we'll just have to muddle through it together then. I'll call out to the servants and see if they've gotten our things from the inn we were staying at. I'll ask them to lay out your clothing while I'm at it Fili." Bilbo said and took Durin up into his arms. "Now can you get yourself dried off and I'll see about getting you another set of under trousers." He said and walked out of the room, picking up Fili's clothing and his and Durin's. He rang the bell that said dressing attendant and someone instantly came to his door. He smiled at the dwarven lad that stood before him. "Could you see to it that our bags are fetched from the inn, these need to be washed. In addition if you could find something for us both to wear, I'd appreciate it."

"Of course your Grace." The dwarf replied.

"None of that now, I'm Master Bilbo Baggins and this is Master Durin Baggins, no one will bow and scrape to me at least, if not my son."

"Amad who is he?" Durin asked curiously.

"He's going to help us with our clothing when we need it, but we might not need it all that often." Bilbo said and smiled at the young man. "I suppose you could do the washing, but I dress myself and so will Durin after me."

"Very good Master Baggins, I will see to it that your clothes get clean, in the meantime I could find some dwarven clothing for you and little Prince Durin to wear."

"He's not a Prince."

"Actually King Thorin made a proclamation that Durin would rule after him, but Prince Kili would rule until Prince Durin came of age."

"So I don't have to worry about being King no more?" Fili asked from the doorway.

"I don't think you need to worry about that Fili, what you need to focus on right now, is relearning everything you once knew." Bilbo said and smiled at Fili. "Though my son and your brother could do with advisors and I'm sure you'll grow to gain wisdom." He added and Fili beamed.

"You really think so?"

"I know so, Fili my lad. First off I want to do some baking." Bilbo said and wrote out several lists of ingredients. "Does this set of rooms, have a kitchen in it?"

"Of course, it's the residence of a Consort and it would naturally have everything that was needed in order to raise children." The servant replied and Bilbo smiled.

"Very good, perhaps you could show us around, after you fetch some clothing for me and my son and some new under trousers for Prince Fili and then you could explain Dwarven clothing to me, so I know how to dress myself and little Durin." He said and smiled at the dwarf.

"It would be an honor, I will be back right away with clothing for all of you." He said and raced off.

No more than five minutes had passed before he returned with the requested clothing. Bilbo beamed at him, before stepping behind the dressing partition with Durin. He changed out of his underclothes and put on fresh ones, after he was done with that, he went back to the servant. "Now what comes next?"

"Well you requested every day clothing, I brought some for Prince Fili as well." The servant said and Bilbo nodded.

"Good, so just over tunic, cloak and trousers then?"

"As well as knife belt and I'd suggest wearing some sort of chain mail."

"Good suggestion." Bilbo said and went back, putting on his chain mail. "I also need to see about having some chainmail either made or found for Durin. It should be a bit big, because he grows about a millimeter a month, faster than a weed my boy."

"A millimeter a month seems about right for a dwarven child, I'll see to it." The servant said. "Is there anything else."

"Just send this list round to the kitchens and have them bring it up for us." Bilbo said and the servant nodded.

"Are you certain you should be baking, after just getting off the road and traveling all the way from Rivendale."

"To me what makes a place a home is fresh bread baking in the oven and laughter and song." Bilbo told the servant. "I don't mind if you have questions about me, or question me about things, however no one here can tell me what I can and cannot do." He said very clearly and the dwarf nodded.

"Of course, you are the mother of the Crown Prince." He said and Bilbo nodded.

"Go now and bring that list to the kitchens, if you can't bring it to the kitchen yourself, find someone who can." Bilbo instructed and the dwarf took off. "Good day gentlemen." Bilbo said to the guards. "Well Fili seems like this lot is pretty straight forward, I believe these are yours." Bilbo added, before he started dressing himself and Durin, Fili did the same and Bilbo helped him with the small belts, which came equipped with knives. "Well let's go see what we have in the kitchen." Bilbo said and walked through the set of rooms he had been given, until he found the kitchen. He smiled when he saw the pots and pans, before he lit a stove. He got out several bowls and filled several pans with water, placing them on the stove to heat.

"What you making Bilbo?"

"I was thinking of making a proper hobbit meal and then well everyone in the Company except for Thorin can come to dinner."

"How are you ever going to patch things up with Uncle Thorin, if you won't see him?"

"I'm not sure things can ever be patched up between me and your Uncle Thorin, Fili, Heartsign or no, One or no, some things are simply unforgivable." Bilbo said and Fili started crying. "It's not your fault my lad, some things just are the way they are and nothing ever fixes them."

"But Uncle cries every night, I hear him, my room is next to his. He's hurting inside he needs you."

"There was a time where I would have followed your Uncle anywhere Fili, but that time is over with and done. It was done the moment he laid his hands on me."

"He hit you?" Fili asked.

"He dangled me off the battlements, all he had hold of was my neck, because I stole the Arkenstone."

"He was gold mad then, he's better now."

"Being gold mad is no excuse, I was gold mad myself, I had a ring of power in my pocket, not just a ring of power but the ring of power. The Dark Lord's Ring Of Power."

"No." Fili said and Bilbo nodded.

"Aye I had that ring, it made me invisible and called to me, but you know what I did with that pretty ring? I tossed it into the hottest fire in Middle Earth. So being gold mad, or possessed by a dark object is no excuse." Bilbo said and Fili stared at him in shock.

"You had a ring of power and you let it go?"

"Of course I let it go, it was let it go or doom us all." Bilbo said. "I missed Durin something fierce, luckily he was only six months old when I left and twelve months old when I returned and so he doesn't even remember me being away."

"Grandfather Elrond took good care of me, he makes the bestest bread." Durin said and Bilbo laughed.

"Aye some of his bread can keep you going all day, without needing to eat, but I bet you mean those black current rolls he finally gave me the recipe to."

"Black current rolls?" Durin asked and clapped his hands. "I get black current rolls."

"Yes you do, but first you boys need to wash your hands and be sure to get in between your fingers, Fili help Durin." Bilbo said and smiled as Fili stood beside Durin and helped him to wash his hands.

"I've come with your order, can the kitchen make some dwarven staples as well as what you are making?" A dwarven lass asked and Bilbo nodded.

"Yes and if you possibly could, I wouldn't mind a few recipes you might be able to part with." Bilbo said and started making the food, setting both boys to work and showing them what to do, while he pulled things in and out of the ovens. He smiled when he finished and stood back.

"We made all that?" Fili asked and Bilbo grinned.

"Aye that we did, here have some." Bilbo said and offered an orange scone to Fili, before taking one for himself and giving one to Durin.

"Yummy."

"This will do for afternoon tea, I'll put the kettle on." Bilbo said and set the kettle to burning, he smiled at his child as the boy ate his scone. "Now don't lick your fingers and do wipe your face." Bilbo said and both Fili and Durin obeyed. "Now would you like another, you might not want to spoil your appetite Fili, but Durin and I will have at least three." He said and cut open several of the scones spreading marmalade on them. He made a plate for himself and Durin. "I don't know how much dwarves normally eat and I don't want you to spoil your appetite."

"I won't." Fili said. "I'll just have another scone and that should be good."

"Alright then." Bilbo said and made a third plate with one more scone for Fili. "Should we take these cookies to the council, I remember that Dwalin enjoyed gingersnaps."

"You made gingersnaps?" Fili asked.

"Aye, but we're sharing them with the Council. I don't want to eat an entire meal with your Uncle, let alone be alone with him, but I'm alright with being in the council for a bit." Bilbo said and Fili nodded, Bilbo stacked several plates of cookies and scones and rang the bell for the kitchens. "Could you make some tea, for the members of the council?" He asked and the servant nodded. He walked to the council with his guards and settled himself in his chair between Thorin and Dis. "Durin remains on my lap, I thought you might be hungry and I know I interrupted everything today. The old Company and their families, save Thorin are invited to my quarters tonight, to share in a meal." Bilbo said and smiled fondly down at Durin, who was playing with Bilbo's hair.

"Lad, here let me unbind it for you, if you want to play with it." Bilbo said and undid his braids, save the one he had made with Dwalin.

"Pretty I love your hair Papa, its like wheat."

"As is yours my lad, though yours is stiffer than mine, I believe Fili has the same hair you do." Bilbo said and smiled. "Just try to avoid tangling it, alright lad?"

"Yes Mama." Durin said and Bilbo smiled softly at him, before the tea arrived and he poured himself and Durin a cup, it seemed to be a strong dark tea with rich spices.

"Not for the boy, its a stimulant." Dis said and Bilbo nodded, passing his cup to Dis, before pouring what appeared to raspberry tea for Durin. He also took ten cookies and slid them onto his plate.

"Now you get three oatmeal, one chocolate chip and one gingersnap." Bilbo told him and the boy nodded. "You may dunk them into your tea, as long as you don't spill upon the table."

"What on earth are you teaching him?"

"Proper table manners of course. Don't forget to sit up straight and do keep your elbows off the table lad."

"Yes Papa, can I play with sticks with you after we eat?"

"Well after we eat, I'm going to get started on dinner, who would you suggest for Durin's fencing instructor Dis?" Bilbo asked and Dis stared at him in shock. "Of course right now we don't want to scare the boy, so we call it playing with sticks."

"I like playing with sticks, Mama did we pack my favorite stick."

"Yes Durry we packed your favorite stick, I think we also packed your little toy axe and Mopsy and Flopsy too."

"Mopsy and Flopsy?" Durin asked. "You packed them?"

"Of course I packed them, the merchants should bring the rest by come spring. That's when we're going to write Grandfather Elrond and Grandfather Took."

"I miss Grandfather Elrond." Durin said and Bilbo smiled.

"Well its not like we can't ever go for a visit, maybe you have some growing to do first, before we go off on another adventure my lad."

"But one day I get to see Grandfather Elrond again?"

"One day lad and that's a promise, we'll go back together and if I'm too old, well then its not like Ori and your cousins can't go with you." Bilbo said and smiled down at his son. "Right now though, you're a bit too young to travel, maybe when your forty, someone will take you to the Blue Mountains."

"Why can't you?"

"Well lad, because I'm a hobbit and we don't live as long as dwarrows, I never lied to you about that, did I?" Bilbo asked and Durin shook his head.

"No you never lie, cause lying is not nice."

"I only lie when my life is in danger, if you think someone is going to hurt you, you might need to lie too and run, don't try to fight them now."

"Why?"

"Cause everyone but a mouse is bigger than you my boy." Bilbo said and several people laughed. "I know you are stubborn, headstrong and willful and you'd rather fight then run any time you have the option, but its okay to run away. Particularly when your a child."

"So I run to you?"

"Aye run behind me, or run to the nearest guard." Bilbo said and smiled at his son. "Don't worry I think we will be alright."

"Cause you will protect us, right Mama?"

"No, I can't protect you from everything, what I can't protect you from, your family and your people will. However one day you'll need to protect them in turn."

"How?"

"Well you can go about it in the hobbit way, establishing trade routes and alliances, or you could do it in the dwarven, which is a good battle every twenty or thirty years, followed by years of peace, before more are ready to fight."

"That doesn't sound like fun, I want the other way, I'm sick of battles."

"Aye, when we are attacked we must defend ourselves, but other than that, lets try to keep the battles to a minimum if it can be avoided, do you think you can do that Thorin?"

"Aye, I think I could try to do that much, it seems to me that your not trying to have me back in your life."

"Give it time, after all, it wasn't so long ago that you well, we had our troubles." Bilbo said and Thorin blanched.

"Will you never forgive me?"

"Well what you did was unforgivable, I would have followed you anywhere before and all I wanted to do was to save our lives and prevent a war." Bilbo said. "I don't like wars, nasty dirty things, make you late to dinner." He added and Durin laughed.

" Respectability." Durin said and Bilbo laughed.

"Yes that's right my boy, respectability." Bilbo said.

"What is respectability?" Dis asked.

"Well its a core tenant of my people, its sort of like asking what Mahal means to you." Bilbo said and shrugged. "I am what's considered a respectable hobbit, much like one of your noblemen."

"You're a noble and you went off with us?" Fili demanded and Bilbo smiled.

"Aye that I did, I didn't have much choice after all, this One was my One." Bilbo said. "In the Shire I handled fifty farms, as well as providing my own meals and tending to my garden."

"Fifty farms? Your a farmer?"

"I don't tend all that land myself, but I used to go out to the fields every day and help them with it. I worked in different fields, so I know a fair bit about everything. As for the processing of the crops, that was more the business of those that made beer, or wine."

"You tended to fifty farms, how many acres?" Dis asked.

"All told well over a thousand, I still have half the income from that, but I've given the other half to my Cousin Drogo, who's holding it in Stewardship in case one of my children ever decides to come back to the Shire." Bilbo said. "He's living in my old house, the house I grew up in now and he and his wife have decided to start trying for their first baby."

"Your cousin is about to have a baby?" Fili asked and Bilbo smiled.

"Well they are just trying lad, babies take time normally, not like Durry who came a bit quicker than I was ready for."

"I was a pretty surprise."

"That you were my lad, you were a beautiful surprise and your turning into a beautiful little boy and one day you'll be a handsome Dwobbit."

"Dwobbit, what's a Dwobbit?" Fili asked.

"Why lad, half dwarf, half hobbit. If he was half elf half hobbit, he'd be a Hobel, like my Great Great Great Grandfather. If he was half man and half hobbit, he'd be a Manbit, but he'd never be half of anything and that's like calling you the stunted folk."

"Its that bad?" Fili asked and Bilbo nodded.

"Aye yet everyone calls us Halflings, that aren't hobbits, you know why?"

"No why?" Fili asked.

"Because we let them, some say that you can call me whatever you want, as long as you don't call me late for dinner. Others say that they aren't half of anything, as I do. Yet others say well if I'm a Halfling, then you are a...well those folk aren't respectable and soon either die, or learn to defend themselves." Bilbo said.

"Fascinating." Ori said. "What else can you tell us about respectability, are handkerchiefs involved?"

"Aye, a handkerchief is necessary for maintaining ones respectability, because otherwise what are you to do if you are working out in the fields and need to sneeze." Bilbo said and everyone laughed. "We don't wipe things on our tunics like some people I know, why I think I had complete and utter culture shock for the first few weeks we were on the road together."

"So elbows off the table, use a handkerchief instead of a sleeve and what else?" Dwalin asked.

"Well there's guest right, that's when your neighbors come calling and you have to let them in and give them a bit of something from your larder. Usually it's around afternoon tea and if someone is completely rude and improper they will come round for dinner uninvited." Bilbo said. "I invited Gandalf to afternoon tea, I had no idea you were even stopping by, what you must have thought of me when we first met." He said and everyone in the Company laughed.

"Ah so you were trying to see that we were welcome?"

"Aye and my furniture didn't get damaged as well." Bilbo said and they all laughed again.

"Didn't If and I clean our boots off on some old box that belonged to your mother?"

"Aye, that was the box she started setting aside for baby clothes, before I was even a twinkle in my Daddy's eye and before that box belonged to her, it belonged to her mother."

"So it was a family heirloom?" Fili asked.

"Aye, queer folks hobbits, we set more stock in every day useful items then we do in gold or gems." Bilbo said. "We also love music, Durin already knows how to play the child's song on his little flute."

"He can play the flute?"

"Well as well as any three year old dwarfling can play anything, he's good at that one song and knows how to play it on harp, flute and fiddle."

"Fiddle di di!"

"Not now Durin, right now we're simply eating and we didn't pack your fiddle when we decided to make the journey." Bilbo said and Durin nodded.

"I'll see to it that the lad gets a fiddle." Balin said and smiled. "You said he also plays many other musical instruments?"

"Well no better than any other child, once he's ready, he'll choose what he wants to play and what weapon he wants to master, but that's a long time from now." Bilbo said and smiled down at his son. "Ah your doing that pretty braid Mama showed you, the one with the three strands aren't you?"

"Yes Mama, I like this braid."

"I like it too." Bilbo said. "Though mostly its for hobbit women and not our men."

"Why not?" Fili asked.

"Because my people unlike dwarves, don't braid their hair, they comb it and keep it neat. I shave my cheeks as well, every morning, because I have no desire to be confused with a dwarf." Bilbo said and smiled at his son. "I'm a hobbit and proud to be one too, just as you lot are proud to be dwarves, I'm proud to be a hobbit."

"Why?" Fili asked.

"Because we never attack people, unless we are attacked first, or unless some unpleasantness might visit the Shire. We live in harmony with the earth and with the other races to the best of our ability. However hobbits also treat children born out of wedlock terribly and consider anyone who goes out on an adventure to be mad. If they aren't mad for going, they will be mad by the time they get back. Crazy are the hobbits that survive battle, my Great Great Grandfather invented the game of golf and struck off the goblin chieftain Morzac the Fearsome in one shot. I think once they learned I was a Baggins, they were just as interested in seeing me dead, as they were in seeing you dead. You can't exactly be surprise they attacked, you did attack them first after all."

"But it was our home." Fili said.

"Aye that it was, over two hundred years ago it was your home and then the Balrog came and you fled. Erebor was your home, until the dragon Smaug came and you fled. You forget I faced Smaug, I looked him right in the eyes and what I discovered was that he wasn't particularly different than most power hungry people who will do anything to keep and maintain their power." Bilbo said smiling down at his son. "I fought for you and nearly died for you over a hundred times, but when you finally got the gold what did you do King Thorin?" Bilbo demanded. "You cast me out, because of your obsession with finding the Arkenstone. The Arkenstone has been found, the dead have been buried and you need to decide who you will be and what you are willing to sacrifice in order for us to be a family once more. Right now there is only one person in this world that I would do anything for, it used to be all of you, but war and the Arkenstone changed all that. The one person, the only person I would do anything for is my son. I want him to grow up knowing both his cultures and the cultures of the civilized people of Middle Earth as well."

"I don't like the phrase people, men used it against us." Kili said. "They said we weren't people, we were dwarves."

"Aye well men say the same thing about hobbits don't they, they call us Halflings. We're all people though, but people and sentient beings are two separate things entirely. Sentient beings like dragons, or spiders, or trolls. Sentient beings I killed for you, to save your lives and my own. Even after everything, I still stood with you atop Ravenhill, but you turned me away the moment the battle ended. They didn't know if my One, or his nephews would survive and you turned me away. That was the moment that I stopped doing everything for you, that was the moment that my heart broke. For I couldn't even see you one last time, I left with Gandalf immediately and we went to Rivendale. I suppose he kept word of your survival for me, because I didn't even want to hear your name spoken Thorin Oakenshield, for twelve months. It wasn't until I realized a ring that I realized the power treasure could hold over someone possessed me. However that doesn't make the past week we spent together before I left for Rivendale alright by any means."

"Mama angry." Durin said and smiled up at Bilbo. "No angry Mama."

"Sometimes you pretend to be younger then you are, don't you my little man?" Bilbo asked and Durin giggled.

"Uh huh." Durin said. "I be little dough."

"Yes indeed you are." Bilbo said and laughed. "Hopefully soon I will feel comfortable here again and we can be a family again, if we can't be, I'll most likely ask for either the hospitality of Bard, or Thrandiul next."

"You'd go to Thrandiul? Before me?" Thorin demanded.

"He's not so bad Thorin, he refused to watch his people be killed and he watched his own father be burnt alive by a dragon, when he was scarcely more than an elfling. Whatever trade you may have enjoyed between Mirkwood and Erebor, was in fact my doing. So please keep a civil tongue in your mouth. I've actually spent more time with his son Legolas, than I've ever spent with you, or the Company."

"Can we see cousin Legolas soon?"

"Well Durin I'll write him, once the snow clears." Bilbo replied and kissed his forehead. "I'm glad I made it in time for Durin's Day, it's in a week isn't it?"

"How do you know?" Thorin asked and Bilbo smiled.

"How could I forget, its the first moon of winter." Bilbo said. "Three years ago, we were escaping from Mirkwood and if you hadn't been such a complete and utter asshole, perhaps the whole unpleasantness of staying in the dungeons could have been avoided. You shouldn't be mad at a King for protecting his people and you were the greatest threat to them at the time. Look what happened, once we got into Erebor, Laketown burned and I'm very happy that they've rebuilt since and Dale is prospering, looks like the money I gave Bard is being put to good use." He said and smiled. "Though admittedly I might have to send for some gold come spring, if you can't give it to me, because the crops I saw on the way here were barely enough to get us through winter."

"Its adequate for our needs." Thorin said and Bilbo shook his head.

"You always set extra by, perhaps the nobles won't starve, but what about the miners?" Bilbo asked. "Historically they are the first to go, if any food shortages occur." He added and everyone stared at him in shocked surprise. "In the Shire we have a barter system, you work all day, and you get seven meals a day and a place to sleep. When times are hard in the Shire, we all understand that we can't be giving our neighbors, friends and family what we have, so whoever shows up at our door, is given what we can spare."

"You cooked like this when you were concerned about a food shortage, why?"

"Because these are the last days we can enjoy meals like these, before the hardship of winter."

"That's how you might see things, but that's not how we do." Thorin said and Bilbo smiled.

"Well, what happened to you would have never happened in the Shire, if we heard that Bree was burnt to the ground, those in Hobbiton would share what they had, with those who needed help in Bree. The Breelanders in turn would share what they had, with those in Hobbition if the troubles ever struck us."

"You talk about troubles, what does that mean?" Kili asked.

"Well first off there's invaders and that means we have to fight a war, or at least a battle. Secondly there's fire, which mean we have to rebuild parts of one of our towns, if not the entire town. Then there are floods, when the Stoor's homes can be washed away and they row down to one of the towns still standing and seek aide there. Then there's the worst of all, a long winter, where everyone starves or comes near to it. I haven't been hungry as often as you, but I've known hunger and I know what I've had to do in order to survive and what haunts my dreams." Bilbo said and took out a small flask, pouring a bit of whiskey into his teacup. He took a sip of the tea after storing the flask.

"You carry around a flask in your pockets?" Dwalin demanded.

"Aye, well I've learned to be prepared for travel." Bilbo returned and Dwalin laughed. "Would you like a dram, this was brewed in the Blue Mountains." Bilbo said.

"Really?" Dwalin said and Bilbo nodded.

"Its pretty good stuff, though I prefer the stuff brewed in the Shire and I will until my dying day." Bilbo said. "Try a little of each, to mix such with tea is proper, but not recommended, because its good whiskey."

"You carry around whiskey now, wish you had some of that on the journey." Dwalin said and Bilbo shrugged.

"Well I only had one night to decide whether or not to go with you, it wasn't like I was thinking of packing things like flasks or such nonsense. I took what I thought I'd need, but was stupid enough to leave a sewing kit behind."

"You can sew?" Ori asked and Bilbo nodded.

"Well as anyone, if I've got a bit thread and a needle." Bilbo said. "I'm also fond of knitting, when I find the time, this little one keeps me on my toes."

"You like it don't you Mama."

"Aye lad I love it and I love you." Bilbo said and smiled down at the boy. "I learned how to play the fiddle, after the quest for Erebor, Elrond suggested it and thought it might be good for me, particularly since the last month I was pregnant with Durin, I couldn't move at all."

"And you ate a whole lot."

"That I did, Elrond and his children were kind enough to care for me, they are wonderful people. My mother saved Elrond's daughter Arwen when she was only eighty-six and I grew up with stories of Rivendale. My Mother always told me, if something were to ever happen and I was in need of a place to shelter, that I should go to Rivendale, because any child of hers would always be welcome there."

"Your Mother saved Elrond's daughter's life?" Ori asked and Bilbo nodded.

"A fierce one my Mother, she was well known from the Blue Mountains, to Rivendell. As a boy, there was talk of going to the sea, once I reached the age of thirty three, but she died when I was twenty five."

"What is the significance of the age of thirty three?" Ori asked.

"Why it's when we consider a hobbit to be fully grown, I'm forty three." Bilbo said and several jaws dropped around the council table. "I know I'd be but a wee babe, if I were a dwarf, but I'm not a dwarf am I? I'm a hobbit and we only live a few more years then men and we age like men."

"You mean to say that you'll only live..."

"I'll only live to a ripe old age and most likely die in my sleep, but yes there was a reason for bringing my boy here." Bilbo said and smiled down at his son. "You should eat sweetheart, I want you all nice and chubby come winter."

"Yes Amad." Durin said and Bilbo smiled, he ate his cookies and then smiled as Durin took two extra oatmeal cookies from the plate.

"That's my good boy, I'm glad you like oatmeal cookies."

"And yummy bread, why did Elrond not want to give you the recipe."

"Cause Lembus bread is a elvan secret sweet one." Bilbo said.

"You know how to make Lembus bread?" Ori demanded and Bilbo nodded.

"I do, we traded recipes, after I came back from Mount Doom, I taught him how to make a restorative tonic that my mother used to brew, that he enjoys and he taught me how to make lembus bread."

"Is it a big deal for a hobbit to share recipes?"

"As big of a deal as it for a dwarf to let his hair be braided by another, that's how my people show our trust. The only person I can give that recipe to is Durin currently and I would only do it once he proved himself capable of being trusted with such a gift." Bilbo said, he stopped speaking for a moment as he heard a small snore coming from his lap. He laughed softly, before pulling out earmuffs and settling them over Durin's ears, he then gently moved him, so Durin was resting comfortably in his arms.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"He'll sleep for a few hours now."

"He looks so much like my brother." Thorin said and Bilbo smiled softly.

"I think he looks like both of us, if you like to think he looks like Frerin, that's your right." Bilbo said and smiled softly. "His ears are all hobbit, pointed at the tips and round towards the base. His nose is the same as my Grandfather Took's, who knows where his hair comes from, because it's common enough on both sides of our family. As for the rest of him, well he's just a little lad and I don't know where he gets some things from. He sometimes speaks in a language I've never heard, I was assured that it was Old Khudzul, but no one was willing to teach that to me. When he cries out in his sleep, I wake him up and comfort him, but more often then not its in old Khudzul, he'd used to speak it all the time a year ago, but then he stopped speaking it and started speaking common and Sindrian more fluently than Khudzul. That's when I learned Khudzul from Gandalf and Elrond, because I didn't want my child to loose a part of himself. I was not taught the deep language and when he stopped using it every day, I decided to come here. Because even if I cannot learn it, it doesn't mean that Bofur can't speak it with him."

"You want Bofur to speak the deep language with your son?" Thorin asked and Bilbo nodded.

"Of course I do, Bofur is my friend, just the same as all of you, even though we can't understand each other sometimes. I know hand signs now, so we'll be able to communicate better."

"They taught you our hand signs as well?"

"Well when you have a baby like my boy, there's some things you need to learn, just to stay two steps ahead of them." Bilbo said and he sighed when his son's face crumpled up and tiny fingers clutched at air. He undid his shirt, letting the child nurse and covering himself with his cloak. Soon small whimpers could be heard. "Can you be quiet a moment, I need to settle him." Bilbo asked.

"I think we can manage that." Dwalin said and Bilbo smiled, gently removing one of the earmuffs and peering down at his son.

"Sweet meadow child, may you never know pain, nor strife,

Throughout all your years, may you find a wife

A family of your own and may they never know pain nor strife.

Sweet meadow child, spring child, born of new life and beginnings,

Sweet meadow child, my sweet child, rest now and be at peace.

May your dreams be of meadows bright and sunny,

May you never lack for food or money.

May you live all your years in peace,

May you go to the Father's Halls one day in your sleep,

As an old being that has lived many years.

May you be wise and loving.

May you always know that I love you,

May you always see the path before you,

May you walk that path unafraid.

Sweet meadow child, please now rest,

My little bird, safe in your nest.

Know that I am with you and please get some rest." Bilbo said and covered Durin's ears with the earmuffs again.

"What was that song?" Thorin asked.

"I tried singing so many songs to get him to sleep, but this was the one that seemed to work best. I wrote it myself and sing it to him three times, every night before bed, because he never wants to go to sleep. Elrond offered me a child's dose of some sort of sleeping remedy, but I refused to drug my little lad."

"Such things aren't uncommon for those that have lived before, alternating nights gives both parents and child time to rest." Gloin said and Bilbo sighed softly.

"I haven't slept much at all, because my own nightmares keep me awake and I don't want to be drugged and defenseless, if someone ever attacked."

"Your safe, I promise you, may my hair be cut if I break my word, that no one here will ever harm you Bilbo." Thorin said and Bilbo sighed.

"You've promised me many things, will you do as I did with Durin and swear in the old way?" Bilbo said and Thorin's eyes grew wet.

"You would ask me to do that, does my word mean nothing to you?"

"It means what it means, words come cheap, they are easily given and taken again." Bilbo said and Thorin stared at him in shock. "You swore to me once at Beorn's that you would love me always, that you would never lay a hand on me and that we would be together all our days." Bilbo said and Thorin stared at him in shock. "You broke that oath you made to me, so utterly and with it you broke a piece of my heart, something that cannot easily be mended." Bilbo added.

"We were both drunk, I can't believe your remember that, we never spoke of it." Thorin said.

"It didn't need to be spoken and you know the oath I swore to you in turn, that I have never broken." Bilbo said and Thorin started sobbing. "That's why I want your braid, because you've broken your oath to me before, what's to stop you from doing it again?"

"I'll do it, for you and our son I'll do it, but just tell me what to swear."

"Just our oath, before everyone gathered here today, that will come some way towards mending this battlement between us. Every night I dream of that moment, I dream that you drop me and I fall to my death. When I don't dream of that, I dream of you dying on Ravenhill, or in a tent, because I thought you had died. Until today I thought you were dead!" Bilbo said and started to sob himself. He managed to stop before he disturbed Durin with his sobbing, instead rocking back and forth with the baby in his arms, while Thorin cried.

"As long as we choose to braid our hair together, we choose to honor the oath between us. We are stronger together than we are alone, for we are one in soul and body. We are warriors, those that were able to come home and those that are in the halls of the Maker, the oath that has been made between two lovers. For even the strongest have something they fear and even the weakest have something or someone that they will die to protect." Bilbo took a small section of hair and put it in Thorin's hands, shakily Thorin braided Bilbo's hair and Bilbo braided Thorin's and smiled. "Should I share the oath I gave when all the rest of the company was asleep? Or should we keep it between us?"

"Share it freely." Thorin said and Bilbo smiled.

"I promised to always love him and to consider his family as my family." Bilbo said and a shocked silence filled the room. "And I do and I always will, regardless of how broken I feel inside." Bilbo said and his eyes filled with tears. "You spoke the words, but never before have I worn your braids, nor have you worn mine." Bilbo said and smiled at Thorin. "It might take some time for me not to be afraid of you, please don't take it personally my dear heart."

"I don't." Thorin sobbed. "I'm sa sa sorry." He continued crying and Bilbo sighed.

"If saying your sorry could fix everything, the world would be a much brighter and more beautiful place, but it doesn't. Show me by your actions that you are sorry then perhaps in time, I'll be able to forgive you. I took the Arkenstone, but you took something worse, you took away my kin and threatened my life in the bargain." Bilbo stated. "Hobbits don't need contracts or braids to agree to something, when we give you our word, we follow through on it always. I might have been three sheets to the wind, but I heard your oath and took you at your word and you heard mine in turn, an oath that I haven't broken, that I shall never break as long as I live." Bilbo said. "Could you hold Durin a moment?" Bilbo asked and passed the sleeping baby to Dis, before taking Thorin into his arms. He hugged him breathing in the smell of his armor, he always smelled like smoke, armor and the forge. It was so uniquely Thorin. He sighed deeply breathing in the smell, as Thorin sobbed into his shirt.

Bilbo didn't speak or say anything, he simply held Thorin, as he himself sobbed. He cried for the hobbit he had been before the quest and the hobbit he'd been after it had ended. Most of all he cried for the time they had lost, for time was precious, but he wouldn't and couldn't stand to live with someone that was abusive. He knew people could change and perhaps the last three years had changed Thorin as thoroughly as Bilbo himself had been changed.

"**Hold the door, hold the door, I will go forward and stop it from escaping, hold the door!_" _**

"Give him back, give him back immediately." Bilbo said and Dis handed him Durin, he rocked the child back and forth, back and forth. "Sweetling wake up." He said after rocking him for a minute, he then gently shook his shoulder, his son's eyes flashed open and Bilbo held back a tiny fist, swaddling him in his cloak, as the boy struggled.

"Hush now my little bird, feel my arms around you,

Feel my love surround you,

Sweet little child, be at ease,

For I am here and there's nothing to fear.

Sweet little child, be at ease, for I am here and there is nothing to fear.

Hush now my little bird, feel my arms around you,

Hush now my little bird, feel my arms around you,

Feel my love surround you,

Sweet little child, be at ease,

For I am here and there's nothing to fear.

Sweet little child, be at ease, for I am here and there is nothing to fear." It wasn't until after Bilbo sang the song ten times that the fighting against the cloak stopped and turned to sobs instead. Bilbo held his son gently against his body. "Now are you done fighting my little warrior, my thorny little rose of a lad?"

"Yes Mama." Durin said and Bilbo smiled.

"There's my Thorn, that's my boy, some day we will have to speak of those dreams you have, but not today, come have a cookie and have a bit of your tea." He said.

"I don't want a cookie, there was a monster."

"Aye lad, was it on fire.

"I want Glory."

"Glorfindel is coming to visit next spring, he can talk to you then. I'm here now and I faced a dragon and lived to tell the tale."

"Was it a very big dragon Amad?"

"Well it was nearly as big as this hall, how big was Smaug Thorin?"

"Just as you say, as big as this hall, dragon meat tastes strange and oddly satisfying, we saved you a bit of jerky, though it was hard that first winter."

"Well lad, looks like your going to taste dragon meat one day, it's a rare taste to be sure. You should never go back to Moria."

"Why not?"

"Durin did you kill that Balrog?" Bilbo asked and Durin shook his head.

"It ate me up." Durin said and shuddered. "I burned and I was eated."

"Not very nice of the Balrog to go eating my little boy." Bilbo said and playfully nibbled on Durin's arm, the little boy shrieked with laughed and Bilbo stepped back from the table and threw him up into the air seven times the little boy laughed.

"One more Amad."

"I wouldn't forgive the Maker of the dwarves." Bilbo said and threw him up into the air an eighth time, Durin giggled when Bilbo caught him. "There's a lad, now are there any monsters here?"

"No Amad, that's my cousin Fili! I see him."

"Yes that's your cousin Fili, that's your Uncle Dwalin and that's your Uncle Ori."

"Lad Ori isn't your Uncle and neither am I, don't confuse the lad."

"He's not confused, for Shire folk, those that have a hand in raising the child, are forever after considered members of your family. The degree of relation is a choice of the individual. By calling Ori his Uncle, I acknowledge the bond between us. I consider you all to be brothers and honorary Uncles, if you aren't Dis' boys or Thorin. However your families would be considered to be kin, but not as close of kin. More like a first name basis than a familial one."

"First names?"

"Yes, that's why I introduced myself as Master Bilbo Baggins of Bag End, it was telling you my birthplace, my last name and my first. At your service is an old hobbit custom, which is a part of Hobbit guest right. Once the customary vow is sworn, no harm can be done to either party."

"That's why you trusted us so thoroughly?" Dwalin demanded. "Simply at your Service and that's good enough for you?"

"Certainly not, why if Gandalf hadn't come by, I would have summoned the Bounders and you most likely would have been in jail, until word was sent between the Shire and the Blue Mountains." Bilbo said. "Guest right extends to all your family and their family, if someone vouches for you, you're considered to be a guest and treated as such. If however you come to the door of a hobbit and claim guest right, without knowing the phrase of that particular hobbit, if not a recipe, you will most likely be barred. I was expecting Gandalf for tea, but all of you came round suppertime and I was shocked by it. However Gandalf had the right of it, if he had not done it in the manner that he did, there wasn't any way in Arda that I could have been convinced to traipse across Middle Earth, in order to take back a kingdom from a dragon."

"So Gandalf broke guest right?"

"No, he was just thoroughly rude, but he's still invited to tea, as is well many of the noble families of Middle Earth. Once word got round to a select few people that I'd had a baby and that baby was Thorin's son, well there was a hubbub and a to do." Bilbo said and laughed. "I never got a moments peace, for the first three months of my sons life and the time leading up to his birth."

"What do you mean, did they bother you?"

"Oh heavens no, I simply signed some contracts and made some agreements, I could only use my own fortune of course." Bilbo said and smiled. "Though I'm pleased with what was agreed to."

"Oh and what was agreed to?"

"Well, it was mostly simple things, like unless attacked, war would not be declared, that the old trade routes would be upheld and that if one kingdom is in need of aide, the other kingdoms, would go to the aide of that kingdom. Things we've had in the Shire for years and I could easily enough sign a contract and get Durin to scrawl his name, once he was old enough to write."

"You made Durin sign contracts."

"I didn't make Durin do anything, he wanted to, didn't you my boy."

"Like Legolas, like Grandfather Elrond, wanna help em." Durin said and everyone stared at the boy. "No like war, makes late for dwinner." He said and Bilbo laughed.

"Well lad, I think you'll be a good advisor if not a king one day." Bilbo said and smiled down at his son. "Come spring, some seeds and saplings will be making their way to the Shire, along with whatever else the Shire merchants might want to sell. Apparently my Cousin is heading the expedition himself, I haven't seen Flambard since he stopped by Rivendale, to ensure it was really me posting the letters and not someone who had learned my signature." Bilbo said and smiled. "He thoroughly enjoyed Rivendale, so much that he decided to stay for the winter and set out with a caravan come spring. That was his first visit, two years ago, he came last year and this year as well and brought with him my Took kin, it was wonderful to see everyone again. We danced and sang for the first two weeks of spring, before I set off for Erebor. I insisted that I make the journey alone, I wouldn't have anyone being hurt on my account and its safer for one lone hobbit to travel under a cloak, then it is for a group of people to travel together."

"I was wif you Mama."

"Aye that you were my boy, my darling son." Bilbo said. "We had a wonderful trip didn't we."

"Uh huh, wif Legolas and Glory, but then they got to go, I sad."

"Well they had their own trip to make sweetling, back to Mirkwood, but it was fun being in Mirkwood for the celebration of moonlight wasn't it?" Bilbo asked and Durin nodded.

"Pretty, wanna go again."

"Maybe summer after next we can go." Bilbo said and smiled. "Or we could go to the celebration of Starlight, you like that one, don't you."

"All the elves get real silly and I get ta make a pretty star and put it on a tree." Durin said and Bilbo laughed.

"Yes lad and Uncle Glory gave you that little sword, didn't he, to use when you're older and to remember their celebration and their people, it was a very sweet gift, though your a bit young for swords at this age." Bilbo said and smiled. "Expect Glofindel to come, come spring, they share a special bond, these two Balrog fighters."

"We play at it sometimes, he's really fun and I like getting him to laugh." Durin said. "Its really hard, to get him to laugh, I love Glory."

"Do you love me?"

"I don't know you Fi." Durin said and crossed his arms. "I want to go back to Rivendell, all you do is fight, its no fun."

"Sweetling, sometimes things aren't fun but you need to do them anyway. I know we try to make things fun for you, but what we do isn't all fun and games."

"Why?"

"There's what's right and what's fun and sometimes in the middle you'll have a dance my lad." Bilbo said.

"Can we dance again."

"Not now, right now its afternoon tea." Bilbo said and sipped his tea. "Though you slept through most of it, you know that tea time lasts between the hours of four and five and it's not five yet."

"I hate tea time, it's boring, all you ever do is talk about grown up things and I gotta listen and there's no one my age for ever and ever."

"Well lad, little boys and girls don't like to travel and everyone thought I should go to Erebor, so we went."

"I wanna go back to Rivendell!" Durin said and sobbed.

"Oh lad, it has been a rough few nights hasn't it?" Bilbo asked gently. "Why you slept through the morning and you're always up in time for breakfast usually." Bilbo said.

"I wanted to see Dale and the road to the lonely mountain."

"Well lad, its not like you won't get another opportunity to ride to Uncle Bard's house."

"Wanna play with Tilly and Grid."

"And you can, once spring comes, but they won't want to travel all the way up here, after the snows hit."

"Why?"

"Cause its cold and the roads get hard to travel, you've never seen snow like they have here, I'm looking forward to building some snow people with you and we can make gingerbread just like Grandfather Gandalf likes and you can play with some children that are acceptable for someone of your station to play with."

"Really I can play with kids, like Tilly?"

"No you can play with actual children, though I must insist upon meeting their parents and going to them with my son." Bilbo said and smiled, finishing off his tea. "Drink up sweetling, its raspberry tea, your favorite."

"I like that." Durin said and drank his cup, watching the clock. "Its only five more minutes, please can we go play now Mama, I hate tea time, its so boring."

"I used to think the same way about the council as a lad." Balin said. "Would it help if some of us brought our children at tea time?"

"Yes! I wanna play with other kids."

"Well you can play with them for thirty minutes before and thirty minutes after, just allow the adults to discuss what we wish to talk about." Bilbo said and Durin nodded.

"Yes Mama, do we have to sit here every meal?"

"No sweetheart, only during second breakfast, lunch and teatime." Bilbo said.

"Three meals?"

"Aye lad, three meals." Balin said firmly. "I think you can stand to sit quiet for those three hours."

"Before I bake any more, I would like to know the condition of the stores." Bilbo said and smiled down at Durin. "What isn't eaten today, can always be eaten tomorrow. Things like cookies keep easily enough for five or six days."

"That's why you made them?" Balin asked.

"Well yes and no, cookies were what I decided to bring today, tomorrow it might be scones, because I love scones."

"I want cookies." Durin said and Bilbo smiled.

"Well if you want cookies, I'll save you a few for after dinner, but you have to eat your dinner first, no falling asleep in your food."

"Yes Mama." Durin said and pouted. "Look tea time is done!"

"That it is lad, we'll take six and if you want to take some home to your families, feel free." Bilbo said and smiled, before taking six of the cookies he had baked and settling his son on his hip. "Do you want to come with us again Fili, or would you rather stay here?"

"I wanna come with you, I'm tired of pretending to be big when I'm not." Fili said and Bilbo smiled softly.

"But sweetheart you are big, you're a dwarf grown, but you have the mind of an eight year old right now." Bilbo said and everyone stared at Fili.

"Not eight! I'm three." Fili said and crossed his arms.

"Well whatever age you might be, you won't give me sass young man." Bilbo said stubbornly. "You can come with me or stay with your brother and your Mother and Uncle Thorin, but your attitude won't be tolerated in my rooms." He said and Fili started crying. "Lad, I'm only being firm with you, because you're a big strong dwarrow grown, even if you don't feel like it. If you took a swing at Durin, you could seriously injure him."

"I'd never hurt my little cousin!" Fili wailed.

"I know you wouldn't mean to, but queer things happen in the heat of the moment, particularly with your family sweetling." Bilbo said and went over, giving Fili a hug. "If you want to learn from me and if you want me to teach you things, then you will need to obey my rules."

"Yes Uncle Bilbo." Fili said continuing to cry. "I'll obey your rules, I'm a good lad."

"That you are Fili, that you are." Bilbo said and nearly cried himself.

"Why aren't we going back to our rooms, I wanna make bread with you Mama and jam."

"Sweetling we already cooked for the day, I'm just going to make a stew which neither of you can help me with, but while I make it, we can all play the game."

"What game Mama?"

"Well we can riddle or we can sing, we can do most anything you want to do." Bilbo said and smiled. "Come on then Fili, lets spend some time together." Bilbo said and Fili practically flew out his chair and out the door. "We can't keep up with you if you run like that." Bilbo said. "Slow down lad." He added and walked with Durin back to his quarters Fili waiting impatiently every five paces. "Right then, I'm going to cut the vegetables and make the water hot, while I do that, Fi, how high can you count."

"I can count to thirty then I loose track of the numbers." Fili said.

"Numbers are easy, wanna sing the number song with me Durin?"

"Number song!" Durin said and Bilbo smiled.

"Just sing along with us." Bilbo said.

"One two...

"Buckle my shoe.

"Three four.

"Out the door.

Five six,

Pick up sticks

seven eight,

lay them straight

Nine ten

Do it all again.

Eleven twelve,

Look for the dell

Thirteen fourteen,

Add a bit of shorting,

Fifteen sixteen,

A pumpkin for the lifting,

Seventeen eighteen,

Lets do some baking.

Nineteen twenty,

Lets do it all again

Twenty-one

A day in the sun

Twenty-two,

A day to feel blue

Twenty-three,

A day for scraped knees,

Twenty-four,

Hope this isn't a bore.

Twenty-five,

Its good to be alive

Twenty-six

Stir that mix

Twenty-seven

Leave it to leaven

Twenty-eight,

Isn't this great

Twenty nine Thirty,

Lets do it all again." Bilbo sang after he got to a hundred his stew was done. "Now Fi, what comes after thirty?"

"Forty?" Fili asked

"Yes my lad, your right, thirty goes after forty, but what come after that?"

"Fifty?" Fili asked and Bilbo nodded.

"Aye lad, just sing the number song and remember it goes one, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty, ninety, one hundred. Can you repeat that to me, both of you say it in time with one another." He said and they spoke over each other and Bilbo smiled. "Very good lads, now its time for supper, how about we have a couple scones and a couple drumsticks."

"I'll wait for dinner." Fili said and Bilbo nodded.

"Alright, do you want to wait, do you feel hungry Durin?" Bilbo asked.

"Really hungry." Durin said. "I want milk."

"Alright you can nurse a bit, but remember we're trying to eat food like a big boy." Bilbo said, before grabbing a couple scones and putting them on a plate, he ate them with a bit of butter, as his son nursed. "How bout a song then Fili, have you heard about the man in the moon?" He asked

"No, what man in the moon?"

"Well there's an old man in the moon, who strikes up a tune for just you and me. He dances away all day with just a fiddle and his bow and a high de ho, fiddle di di. And when twilight comes around, you can see him staring right down at you, as you stare up at him, with fiddle in hand, isn't it grand to play with the man in the moon? With a high de ho fiddle di di. So if your out walking under the light of the moon, pretty soon you'll run across the old, man with a fiddle in his hand, going high ho fiddle di di. For old man moonlight has been around a very long time, he brews the best moonshine you have ever seen, hi ho fiddle di di. Sometimes his old friend starlight, might pop in for a moment or two, just to look at me and you and the man in the moon. For the stars shine so bright, they give their light to everyone around, so spin a pretty maid round seven times and drink a little bit of that old moonshine, because its just the man in the moon, the starlight and you and me." Bilbo said and smiled at Fili. "I think your little cousin has fallen asleep, I'll lay down for a bit with him and you can join us if you like, or go back to the council, we're tired from the road."

"I wanna join you."

"Alright but you have to be quiet because your cousin doesn't sleep very well." Bilbo said and stood slowly going to the first bedroom he saw. "You can sleep with us if you like, or in another room if you prefer." Bilbo said.

"I wanna sleep with you." Fili said and Bilbo nodded, he climbed under the covers, gently laying his son on top of him. "He's so pretty Uncle Bilbo."

"Yes he is." Bilbo said and smiled, running his hands through his son's hair. "If you can't sleep and I can, just run your hands through his hair, it comforts him. Also its not impolite to start without us, if we wake up and want dinner, we'll eat dinner, otherwise just put a bit aside for the morning." Bilbo said and closed his eyes, he was asleep within moments and snoring loudly.


End file.
